Heart Of Me
by sasukestays
Summary: She breaks right through to the heart of me, the part of me that I can't explain.
1. Maybe, after all

The front doors of Aburame high school were giant cherry wood monstrosities. They each weighed a good ton and a half. Or at least that's what it felt like to a certain frail green eyed girl. Each and every morning she arrived to school just a bit more than fashionably late, thus the doors were no longer propped open to allow easy entrance to the students. Opening them all by itself was not a task that proved to difficult, however, when it was stacked onto the fact that she had to do it all the while toting a bag full of text books and juggle a coffee and car keys in one hand, it became something she absolutely loathed.

Sakura Haruno had been attending Aburame high since her freshman year of high school and this was her senior year. She was enrolled in all the highest honors classes and was determined to get a high end scholarship to a major university that was anywhere but here.

As Sakura stood atop the steps in front of the doors to her school struggling to make her way inside, the doors suddenly flew open to reveal Naruto Uzumaki, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a florescent orange T-shirt that hugged him maybe just a bit tighter than necessary. He threw up his hand in a quick wave as he ran past her, she made a move to slink inside the door before it closed but her plans were foiled by the three boys that came running out after him.

Sakura recognized them all almost instantly. Firstly there was Kiba on Naruto's heels almost instantly, dressed in his blue and white Aburame High Basketball uniform. Second there was Lee, who always wore a determined look, but looked even more focused at the present moment as he chased his two friends. He smiled animatedly at Sakura for just a moment before tossing his Green Letter-man jacket to the side and taking off again- quickly over stepping Kiba. The third boy was none other than Shikamaru- he stopped at the bottom of the stairs and took a seat, watching with a bored expression as his friends all ran around like maniacs, crashing into the cherry blossom trees that were scattered around the green of the campus and leaving everything flaked with variations of pinks. Shikamaru was lazy- Sakura knew that much from gym class, so it didn't surprise her that he sat out from his groups current antics.

She lost her thoughts as she watched the boys parading around campus acting like, well like a bunch of high school boys- who were drunk and or high. Sakura didn't know any of them very well, except for Naruto, and she knew that Naruto would never do drugs. They had been friends since they were in elementary school and he had moved from a new town into Konoha. No one was nice to him at first, except for Sakura. They didn't hang out as much as they had in the past but they were still good friends. Sakura sighed as she watched them begin to wrestle around in the array of petals scattered about. She turned to walk through the door that for some reason or another she expected to still be open, only to find that of course, it was closed.

Sakura huffed and set her bag down, tossing her keys into it lightly, she took a sip of her coffee set that down to and grabbed the door handle with both hands- it came swinging open and she lost her balance. She fell backwards and right into the back of Shikamaru who let out a surprised a curse fell forward down the remaining stone stairs. Sakura was relieved that she herself didn't fall down any stairs thanks to Shikamaru being a blockade. She quickly got up and dusted herself off, hoping that no one saw but knowing that there was no the boys had missed it. She turned to face the green on which they were wrestling only to find that they had all made their way over to where Shikamaru had been planted. He was currently standing up with an annoyed look on his face as Naruto approached Sakura. She smiled sheepishly at him and mouthed oops- but Naruto looked beyond annoyed.

"Watch what you're doing teme!" He screamed at her as he walked by, she turned on her heel sending the white gypsy skirt she was wearing flaring out in all directions, so she could ask Naruto why he had just called her a bastard. But what she saw was Naruto screaming in the face of a boy who was a good 3 inches taller than he was at 5''11.

"Tch." Was the only response that came from the boy who was standing in front of Naruto wearing an expression that was as blank as Sakura had ever seen. His eyes were onyx and set underneath perfectly arched eyebrows of the same color. His hair was blacker than a ravens feathers- and he had long bangs that framed his face naturally and messily- the back of his hair was wild and it stuck up in the back reminding her of the tail end of a chicken or maybe a duck. His lips pulled up into a small smirk and he took his hands out of the pockets of his baggy dark blue jeans and crossed them over his chest.

Sakura recognized him instantly as well. He was Sasuke Uchiha.

"Sasuke!" Naruto said even louder than before, "You need to apologize! She could have been seriously hurt!" Sakura watched as Naruto mimicked Sasuke's previous actions and crossed his own arms over his chest only when he did it the muscles didn't stand out against his pale skin- maybe because he wasn't pale and maybe because he was in a t-shirt not a black wife beater...a painted on black wife beater.

Sakura shook her head and looked into the eyes of Sasuke- he was looking at her as well and he wore the same blank expression- his jaw was clenched and the veins in his neck stood out. She smiled at him shyly and shook her head.

"It's um- it's okay Naruto. Don't worry about it!" She said as she laughed nervously and waved her hands in front of her as if to dismiss the situation.

Naruto seemed to contemplate what she had said and rolled his eyes a moment later. He shook his head at Sasuke who was now smirking and had stuffed his hands back into the pockets of his pants. Naruto mumbled something that sounded like 'teme stupid' and 'effect on females'.

"You heard her Dobe." Sasuke said in a voice that was so very much like velvet or honey that Sakura didn't know if she wanted to sleep in it or eat it- both of which were impossible. She shook the thought away and made a mental note that it was insanely creepy to have any sort of thoughts like that.

"Ehh-" Naruto tried to protest but Sasuke cut him off.

"It was her own fault anyway." He eyed Sakura with just a spark of annoyance in his eyes- the first emotion she'd ever seen them portray. Sure she knew ho he was, she'd seen him around before. He had been a senior twice now, this was his third round- but no one thought he was dumb. Partially because all of the females in the school viewed him a God of some kind. Sakura never had.

Of course she thought he was attractive- and just now she had realized that he had a voice equally as alluring. However, that didn't mean that she viewed him as a God. He was just a guy, a guy who was obviously going nowhere. Sakura raised an eyebrow at him and put her hands on her hips.

"You listen to me!" She said in a tone that hinted at the fact that she was now offended, "It was not my fault that _you_ threw open the doors and sent _me _an innocent bystander flying backwards and almost down a flight of stairs."

Naruto looked amused, and Sakura knew it was because no one ever talked to Sasuke in any sort of way that could possibly upset him or challenge what he had said. Especially not a girl. Sasuke just raised a brow at her and the smirk he wore so perfectly appeared again on his clean features.

"What kind of idiot stands in front of a door?" He said to her in a tone that hinted he actually believed she was some sort of imbecile.

"I was trying to go to school!" She shouted as she took a step toward him and jabbed her pointer finger into his chest. "So don't you-"

He grabbed her hand quickly but surprisingly gently and then proceeded to throw it backwards, his eyes now clearly portrayed annoyance and the smirk was gone.

"Don't touch me." He said, and his voice was cutting.

Sakura tried to pretend that it didn't affect her in anyway- but in truth she was shocked and a little upset. He had no reason to be so mean to her, she didn't do anything wrong.

"You-" She paused trying to find something to call him, she could find nothing and so she settled with saying you a few more times before Naruto patronizingly patted her on the head- much to the amusement of Sasuke.

Sakura gave a flustered huff and crossed her arms over her pale pink tank top. She didn't miss the way that Sasuke's eyes flickered to her chest momentarily and she blushed and turned her head- hoping he didn't notice the pink tinge on her cheeks. Of course he did though.

"You hair matches your face." He said smugly before he took his leave of them and walked back inside the building- Sakura could help but notice how he one handedly threw the door open like it was nothing. Was she really that weak? She sighed- because she knew the answer was yes.

"Sasuke got you flustered?" She heard from behind her. She turned to look at the source of the voice- Kiba Inuzuka. He was wearing a smirk that she knew was meant to be teasing- but she still didn't like it. Because the answer to his question was yes- and she didn't understand why.

"No." She said cheerily putting on a smile and waving her hands around yet again, "He was just being...um kidding?"

"He was being kidding?" Shikamaru said boredom coloring his tone as usual.

"Uh, well I just meant that he was kidding...haha." She said uncertainly moving her hand to the back of her head.

"Oh yeah?" Kiba said, his smirk growing wider, "That's funny because last I checked Sasuke didn't 'kid'. He's just an asshole."

"Oh." Sakura said, and much to her displeasure the defeat was clear in her tone, "That's what I thought..."

"It's okay!" Kiba said slinging his arm around her nearly bare shoulder, his tan skin contrasting strikingly against her own milky complexion. "Sasuke flusters all girls."

"I'm not one of those girls." She said honestly, "I far from worship the ground that he walks on, in fact, I think he's a loser."

"Really?" Kiba said, noticeably on the verge of hysterical laughter, "That's awesome!"

Sakura smiled lightly as she politely stepped out from underneath the weight of his arm and toward her stuff that had much to her dismay been splayed out all over the stone perch in front of the doors. Her coffee was tipped over and and the last few drops were dripping onto the cement slowly.

"Darn it." She said leaning down to put her books back in her back, but Naruto was there first and had them all gathered quickly. They stood up and he kicked her empty foam coffee cup lightly off of the edge. He smiled at her and handed her her bag.

"Sasuke teme owes you a coffee Sakura!" He said reassuringly and she smiled at him and shook her head.

"Oh no no." She said, "Thanks for picking up my stuff though Naruto!"

"No problem Sakura!" He smiled brightly as he threw his hand back behind his blonde head and closed his bright blue eyes. Naruto was so carefree- and overall just a caring person.

"Well I really do need to go to class now, it was nice to see you guys!" She grabbed the doors and heaved them open before Kiba grabbed it and smiled down at her.

"Naruto-" He said, "Go get Lee off of the ground."

Sakura looked over and realized that she hadn't even noticed how Lee had been sprawled out awkwardly admiring the cherry blossom petals that adorned the surface of the green grass- she shuddered inwardly, he was just a _little _creepy. She thanked Kiba and headed toward her classroom- it was still first hour which meant she had English, but it was already 9 o'clock which meant there were only about 5 minutes left until second hour. So she wandered the halls for a few minutes and walked up to the second floor where her locker was located, she put her bag inside and closed the door. She didn't need anything from her locker until her fourth hour so there was no need to tote it around until then.

She decided as she walked into her second hour art class that Sasuke was a jerk- just as she'd always suspected and that he was definitely a loser. She didn't care that he was gorgeous, because his ugliness on the inside had stained his physical appearance in her eyes. Well, not entirely. She laughed a little to herself about what a waste it had been that God would have created someone so beautiful and then entrusted the devil with giving him a personality. It was a cruel joke on the female species- and Sakura was glad that she was immune.

As the day progressed Sakura realized that she had been thinking about Sasuke more and more- she blamed it on the fact that she didn't go two seconds without hearing his name, followed by a very **inaccurate** statement about what a wonderful guy he was. It wasn't her fault that when she heard these things, she had to disagree.

One incident in particular that had rubbed her the wrong way was when her very own best friend had decided to go on a rant about just how miraculous the guy was. Sakura had already known that her bleached blonde supermodel friend was a member of the Sasuke fan-club- but she never spoke about it in front of Sakura. It was an unspoken rule between them, Ino knew that she thought it was stupid and annoying and Sakura never told her she thought it was. They rarely fought and they never wanted to step on the others toes.

So when Ino had approached her with a guarded look on her face during their history class Sakura was ready for bad news- not gushing about Sasuke the Messiah.

"Sakura!" Ino had said matter-o-factly. As she took a seat next to her best friend of over 10 years. The pinkette turned her head and raised her brows to let her know that she had her full attention. "Listen here forehead." The blonde said as her pastel blue eyes sparkled dangerously, "I know that you hate Sasuke talk, but Karin isn't here today and I need someone to gush to or I will explode."

"...Fine Pig." Sakura said dejectedly as she leaned back in her seat and folded her arms beneath her chest. "Shoot, I'm all ears."

"Okay!" Ino said, perking up instantly and clapping her manicured hands together, she leaned in toward Sakura and crossed fishnet clad legs- Ino dressed like she was going to the club everyday of her life. Currently she was in a top that looked like it had been dipped in purple glitter and then glued onto her body- scratch that, it looked like Ino had rolled around in glue and then rolled around in glitter, you couldn't tell there was fabric between the air and her skin. She was in a pair of tight black short shorts- personally Sakura thought that the fishnet tights were an unnecessary addition to the outfit- as well as the knee high black boots. Of course Sakura loved Ino to death, but they were polar opposites when it came to fashion, and apparently guys.

"Soooo!" Ino said interrupting Sakura's thoughts, "Did you by chance see him today?"

"Uh-" Sakura hesitated, and then shook her head,

"Okay well, Sakura! He is in a wife beater and I mean it is painted on! Have you seen the tattoo on his upper back? Have you seen his freaking sleeve? On his left arm?"

"Uh- no." Sakura said dumbly, and honestly she hadn't- she hadn't noticed any tattoo's and she couldn't picture them now even as Ino was telling her that they were there. She never would have known.

"Well anyway!" The blonde went on flipping a strand of her waist length platinum hair over her shoulder, "They are soooo sexy! Sakura he is so toned- God what I wouldn't give to just run my hands along those muscles- mmm."

"That's it!" Sakura said standing from her seat and throwing her arms up in utter defeat, "Call Karin! Call her! I cannot, I repeat cannot handle this drooling anymore!"

"But Sakura!" Ino pouted, "He is so-"

"He is such an ass Ino, he's mean to people for no reason at all. He is so rude, he is on his third senior year dammit!"

"But-"

"No." Sakura said holding her finger up to her friends glossy lips and then pulling it away and rubbing the gloss off of her finger and onto her skirt instead. "He's nothing Ino. Just nothing."

"Wow Sakura." Ino said crossing her arms over her chest and smirking faintly, "You're a little bit defensive there...I think you may be in denial!"

Sakura's face turned deadly and she stormed away from her friend quickly- got a pass from the teacher to go to the library and tried to think of a reason that she had gotten as defensive as she did. She decided it was simple. He was a jerk to her, he spilled her coffee and he called her an idiot all because _he _knocked _her _down. Yeah, that was it- she was just mad that anyone would give any sort of praise to someone so rude. She was only mad because he was rude- she repeated it a thousand times over in her head and then a thousand more.

She proudly stuck to that logic until her off hour 7th period, on which she decided to walk to one of the stores that was close by to pick up something to drink and possibly something to munch on.

As she made her way down the street she relaxed into a very slow paced tempo, just taking in the beautiful day- that was until her eyes fell upon a group of boys, all gathered around something on the sidewalk. She wanted to just go around them, but her curiosity got the best of her and she picked up pace to join in their circle. As she walked the wind blew her mid- back length soft pink hair out behind her, along with her long white skirt. She felt sort of like a ghost as her hair and clothing was swirled around her, she didn't know why except for that it felt sort of mythical. She reached the circle of boys quickly- anxious to see what was going on.

She pushed against the shoulders of several different boys- in order to squeeze her small frame into the front of the group. The boy's were all circled around a small rabbit, it was obviously injured- and Sakura was horrified at the way they were laughing. The poor thing was obviously scared, and she could only guess that it didn't try to run away because either it couldn't or it had already tried and they had stopped it enough times (in ways she didn't want to think about) that it had learned it had no option but to stay put.

The bunny's leg was twisted and it was bleeding from it's front paw. She went up to the creature despite the protests around her and she reached out to it- understandably and expectantly it shied away from her touch. Sakura had always wanted to be a doctor- she just had the natural urge to help people, to help anything. Currently, her caring instincts were telling her that she needed to save this poor white rabbit that was no bigger than a kitten. She shook her head sadly when she reached for it a second time and saw the fear so very obvious in it's big dark eyes. She picked it up and she was thankful that it didn't bite her, even though she was prepared for it to. As she cradled the small animal in her arms and felt it's body shaking she turned to the boys.

"What the heck did you do to this poor baby?" She yelled at them all accusingly. She could feel her cheeks flushing with anger as she looked at their remorseful expressions. One boy came forward and spoke to her on the rest of their behalves.

"We found it like this Pinky, calm down." He had red hair and dark eyeliner around his ocean blue eyes. His expression was not blank like Sasuke's- his expression was murderous, and suddenly Sakura realized she didn't know who these boys were and she didn't know what they were capable of. She tried to think of a way to get out the situation she had landed herself in and came up with nothing. There was no way they would just stand by and let her reach for her phone if they were dangerous, then again they may not be dangerous- but she didn't know if she wanted to risk finding out. She just wanted to get out of there, but she wanted to hold her ground- rule number one, never let anyone know if they scare you, they'll use it to their advantage.

"Well-" She paused for a moment and put on the same brave face she had used when facing the intimidating Sasuke Uchiha earlier that day. "Well!" She started again in a much braver voice and with a much stronger face, "Why is he hurt? And why didn't you let him go!"

"It's just a fuckin' rabbit Pinky!" A voice she didn't recognize called to her from the crowd, she didn't bother to look for the voice, she stayed focused on the red headed boy that she was currently speaking to.

"Well?" She said to him, her green eyes scrutinizing.

"You'd better go." He said to her, "You're pissing me off." And with that he reached into her arms and snatched the rabbit from her grasp- he snapped it's neck in one quick motion and threw the carcass at her. He had a devilish smirk adorning his thin lips as he assessed her expression and then noticed the tears well up in her eyes. "You need to learn not to but your head into other peoples business Pinky."

"It was just a helpless-" She struggled to keep her composure as she looked down at the dead bunny that lay at her feet.

She looked up and felt the tears running down her cheeks, "You are such an ass! How dare you take somethings life away from it like that!" She was screaming now and the tears were vigorously streaming down her cheeks. She heard the rest of the boys in the crowd start laughing mildly and talking amongst themselves about what an idiot she was.

"Fuck off." The red head said to her, "Or else."

"Or else!" Sakura yelled, she knew that she should just leave and call Naruto as soon as possible, but she was in such a rage and so emotionally wrecked that she was not listening to the wiser side of her conscious mind. She looked at the red head again and she charged him and smacked him straight across his face. She stepped back immediately shocked and afraid of the outcome to what she had just done. When the boy turned his head toward her, he was seething and his eyes were narrowed into slits.

Sakura ran, trying to reach the corner of the street that was no more than 20 yards away- but still a gamble. She turned and she fled as fast as she could toward the store she had been meaning to go to in the first place. She risked a glance behind her and saw that the group of boys was hot on her trail, she willed her body to go into overdrive and she begged her adrenaline to kick in- but she knew that it was a vain hope and she was terrified because she felt her muscles locking up as she neared the corner of the street.

If only there were cars on the street she knew that she would be saved, but the street was dead- and she feared that she may be too. She knew that she looked like quite a sight- her hair was flying wildly, her face was beat red and sweat was cascading down her body- not only that but she had gathered her long flowing skirt up in her hands and held it at her thighs so she could run better with less of a chance of tripping and being caught. Her arms were slicing through the wind as she ran but she could feel the boys only steps behind her- she knew that all they had to do was reach out and their fingers would probably brush the ends of her pastel locks.

"Get her!" She heard one of them say from far too close behind her- there were responses that ranged from 'kill that bitch' to

'let's teach her a lesson' to 'this could be fun'. And as Sakura turned the corner sharply, she exhaled heavily and let out a piercing scream.

"SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASUUUUUKE!"

Maybe he'd been on her mind after all...


	2. Bubblegum

Sasuke couldn't help but let an inaudible sigh escape from his slightly parted lips. Naruto had been bitching at him all day, and he was getting very sick of it very fast. Not only was he bitching about the normal stuff;

Get a more moral job Sasuke!

Be nicer Sasuke!

Stop doing illegal things Sasuke!

You have soooo much mother fucking potential Sasuke!

No. Now he was bitching about that damn girl with the pink hair that reminded him of the color of bubblegum. Sasuke liked bubblegum.

Ever since he had hit the girl with the doors this morning Naruto had been on his case about how unthinkably rude he was. And quite frankly it was pissing him off even more than it normally did. She was just a girl. And apparently she was a stupid girl, because what kind of idiot stands in front a door like that just waiting to get thrown backwards.

Finally he had a few moments to escape Naruto's annoying mouth. He had some things to pickup, some people to see and some business to take care of. So during around about 12 o'clock he had left the brick walls of Aburame high and all the annoyances that dwell within the confines of them.

After running his errands he headed back to school, only because he had promised Naruto a ride to some sort of party. Before he went to school back to school however he stopped to fill his car up with gas. He didn't know where Naruto's fiesta was taking place and he wasn't about to run out of gas and have to sleep in his car.

His car wasn't baby or anything, he knew that it was just a materialistic item, but he loved the hell out of it- it was his most prized possession. It was a sleek black 2012 Camaro Z28, he'd paid it off in no time at all. His friends were jealous because the girls fawned all over it, he didn't understand why; he liked girls sure- but it pissed him off when he came out of school, or anywhere for that matter and they were sprawled all over his fucking car.

Sasuke pulled up to the gas station only a few blocks from school and stepped out of the car. He slammed the door shut and walked in to pay, the woman behind the counter was a brunette with blue eyes and she drank him in so openly that he had to clear his throat in order for her to actually ask him what he needed help with. He rolled his eyes as he exited the small building and made his way back to where he was parked.  
>As he grabbed the pump and began to fill his car he heard his name being screamed from sort of panicked girl.<p>

He turned his head to the source of the scream- and there was none other than the girl from earlier in the morning. He looked over and noticed that she was being chased by several guys, he raised a brow as one of them reached her just as she made her way into the parking lot.  
>He then noticed very quickly that the guy who grabbed her didn't look to happy, he shrugged it off and removed the pump from his car. He turned to get back into it when she called his name again, only this time he could hear the terror in her voice he turned back around and noticed that at least 5 guys were holding onto her as a boy who looked far too familiar for Sasuke's liking walked up to her.<p>

Blood red hair.

Gaara.

Obsidian orbs clashed with emerald ones and he walked over to where they were at the end of the gas station parking lot. Sakura looked like she was about to pass out when he reached her. Her pink hair was clinging wildly to her face and any other flesh that was exposed. He could see that she was covered in sweat and her chest was heaving wildly.

Sakura looked at him with pleading green eyes and somehow she just knew that there was no way he could walk away and leave her standing here in the middle of all of these barbarians. He just couldn't. He wouldn't do it, she could tell.

The second she had turned the corner and saw his back turned to her she screamed his name at the top of her lungs and she thanked God when he turned his head to look in her direction.

She had noticed the back tattoo. It looked like wings of some sort, but she couldn't see it clearly his shirt was blocking a great deal of it and she didn't have much time to focus on his back.

She had noticed the sleeve as well. As he had been walking over to where they had her surrounded. Were those skulls? How grim.

She had screamed his name a second time and when he reached her he stopped walking. He just stared at her- and it put her at ease.

"Gaara." He said plainly, and the red headed boy turned around- he was shorter than Sasuke by a long shot and much leaner- but he didn't cower away like Sakura had seen numerous people do before. He stood his ground and they locked eyes.

"Sasuke." He said after what seemed like an infinity to Sakura, but was in reality probably only a few moments.

Sakura felt the hands of one of the boys who was holding her venture across her chest- he dipped into her shirt and she screamed again.

"Get off of me!" She said, her voice laced with as much venom as she could muster.

She saw Sasuke's eyes quickly flicker toward her, and she recognized the aggravation clear in there onyx depths.

Before she could register what happened he had reached into the waist line of his pants and pulled out a gun- he held it Gaara's head.

"Let her go." He said, and his voice held all the authority in the world even though he looked as though he was very bored.

Gaara visibly tensed and told his goons to let her go. They complied instantaneously and Sakura breathed a huge sigh of relief.

She looked up at Sasuke who had returned the gun back to where it came from- as he lifted his shirt she got a view of his abs that she was both unhappy to get and very pleased to see. And she noticed that he had another tattoo adorning his right side- she couldn't make out what it was but she saw enough to notice that it was huge.

Sasuke cleared his throat and when Sakura looked up she saw that his eyes were mildly amused and that a smirk was playing on his tips. She was thankful that he wouldn't be able to see the blush coloring her cheeks due to the fact that her face had not returned to it's normal color as of yet.

"Thanks." She said meekly after the silence was too awkward for her to stand.

Sasuke on the other hand didn't seem awkward at all, he just smirked at her again and turned away.

"S-Sasuke?" She called after him, he turned again so he was facing her and read the hesitation on her face. He motioned with two fingers for her to join follow him and so she did just that.

Sakura had been expecting Sasuke to have an amazing car, it was brand new- the interior was leather, the speakers looked impressive and the windows were tinted to the point that they matched the black exterior almost completely. When Sasuke slid into the drivers seat and started it up Sakura had been expecting him to drive like a maniac, she had been expecting him to look incredible as he did it too.

What Sakura had not been expecting was to break down in the passenger seat of Sasuke Uchiha's car.

They were already in the parking lot of the school by the times the sobs hit her hard, they were shaking her whole body and she hugged her knees up to her rocked back and forth like a child.

What Sakura had not been expecting was for Sasuke to stay with her while she cried.

Sure he didn't comfort her in any way at all, no hand on the knee, no pat on the head, no hug, and certainly no words of encouragement. But he stayed.

Myabe it was because he didn't trust her in his car alone, or maybe it's because he wasn't planning on going back inside anyway- but maybe it was because he wanted to know that she was going to be okay.

While the last option was highly unlikely, Sakura decided it was the one that she would go with.

She settled down enough that the tears were only small streams cascading down her cheeks vs the earlier torrents of tears that had been flowing from her eyes.

"They- They were hurting a little rabbit." Sakura said to him, wiping her eyes on her arm gently, "I couldn't just let them hurt him like that."

Sure Sasuke hadn't asked to hear her story but he turned his head toward her and listened none the less.

"The poor thing couldn't even walk...and and then," She paused remembering the way the red headed boy named Gaara had snatched the bunny away from her and snapped it's frail little neck. "He grabbed it away from me and he killed it!" Her voice was raising as she spoke, "He killed it right there! And then-" Her voice cracked and she started sob once again, "He threw it at me..."

"He pelted you...with a dead rabbit?" It was the first sentence Sasuke had spoken to her since the incident happened, and the first sentence he had ever said to her in a civil manner- but she felt her eyes well up yet again and she nodded.

"The hell did you do?"

"I...I...slapped him across the face after that."

Sasuke's eyes looked almost shocked, almost and then he shook his lightly.

"You really are as stupid as I thought you were. Attacking the leader of a gang like that. While they were all present none the less."

Sakura was shocked at his words, she had no idea that those boys were all a gang- she would have avoided them if she had known that- she would have called Naruto on her cell the second she saw them huddled together like that. She may have been naive, but she knew that gangs meant trouble.

"I-" She shook her head and looked down at her hands in her lap, "I had no idea."

"I know." He said back to her, and then he opened up the door and he got out of the car.

Sakura followed suit, not wanting to be in his car without him there, it just felt weird. When she stepped out of the car Sasuke had his cell phone pressed against his ear, she didn't know if she should stay and wait for him to finish on the phone, or if she should just be on her way now that she was back at school. But then she heard him speak and she decided to stay.

"Naruto." He said plainly, "I found your friend."

Pause.

"The pink haired girl."

Pause.

"Being chased by a bunch of guys."

Pause. Sakura clearly heard shouting from the other line of the phone.

"Parking lot."

Sasuke ended the call and slipped his phone into his back pocket he looked over at Sakura, who was sure that she must look like utter hell. His eyes yet again held no sort of emotion and he didn't acknowledge her presence aside from the quick glance her way.

When Naruto got to the parking lot a few minutes later he was obviously upset, and Sakura felt bad for making him worry.

His bright eyes were full of concern and relief at the pinkettes safety. Ino was right behind him- and Sakura wasn't surprised when she tripped over her words to Sasuke.

"I-uh- Thanks um Sasuke...for uh saving...um Sakura."

"Hn." Was the only response she mustered from the stoic Uchiha.

Thankfully Ino didn't sulk about the lack of response and instead went right to Sakura's side- she hugged her for a long time before Naruto stepped in and hugged her as well.

They had such similar personalities, Naruto and Ino. They had always struck Sakura as the two people everyone always thought should be together- but it never happened. Sakura however had never thought they should be together, only that other people did. Sakura pictured them with their opposites. People who were quiet and relaxed- a nice contrast to the explosion of energy that each of the blondes themselves were.

"What happened Sakura?" Naruto asked he leaned against the side of Sasuke's car, Sakura could tell that Ino wanted to lean up against it to but was far too shy in front of the Uchiha boy to attempt such a thing, so she settled for standing in front of Sakura with her arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapping against the pavement impatiently.

"They were...hurting a rabbit." She said timidly, because she realized now how stupid it was of her to approach a group of guys that she didn't know because of one small bunny. She heard Sasuke snort and turned her head over to him only to see that he was walking back toward the school. Naruto followed her gaze and told Sasuke he wasn't finished talking to him, but of course said boy just kept walking.

Sakura finished telling her friends about why she had been caught up with Gaara and his cronies, watching as they shook their heads disapprovingly and as their eyes widened at different parts in the tale. It was when she got to what happened with Sasuke that she didn't really know what to say.

"So!" Ino had said, clapping her hands together the way that she always did when she was excited about something, "You were rescued by none other than Sasuke himself! You are so lucky!"

"Eh." Naruto said scratching his head, "I wouldn't say lucky Ino- I'm sure she would have rather had none of it happen at all."

"It's true." Sakura said to them, "It was terrible."

Ino shook her head and sighed in defeat, she knew that she wasn't going to get the details she wanted from Sakura, especially not with Naruto right there, so she made a mental note to drill her for all the information in her brain later that night.

Naruto had the same plan, only he was going to ask Sasuke about it, because he knew that Sasuke would come up with something interesting to describe why had protected a girl that he didn't even know from someone that he got along with quite well most of the time.

"Sasuke and Gaara must really hate each other." Sakura had said as they were walking back into the school, and Naruto shook his head.

"Nope." He said, "They don't. I wish they did. But they don't."

"So..." Sakura said trying to make sense of the hostile atmosphere between the two of them earlier, "They're like friends?"

"No." Naruto said, shaking his head a bit sadly, "They work together."

"Sasuke's in a gang!" Ino shouted, horror and disbelief clear on her face.

"No." Naruto said sharply. Sakura was taken aback- she'd never heard Naruto be so cutting.

"Then what-" Ino began to ask him, but the blonde cut her off as they walked through the doors and back into the building for their last class of the day.

"Nothing." He said, and both Sakura and Ino knew that it was a final statement. They weren't going to get anymore information about it from Naruto, that much was clear.

But Sakura wanted to know how Gaara and Sasuke were working together- she wanted to know badly, and it bothered her.

Ino wasn't surprised that Sakura wasn't opening up about what had happened with Sasuke, and it only confirmed her suspicions that Sakura had developed the irresistible attraction to him that every other girl had. She tried to beat around the bush to get Sakura to open up about it, but her efforts were all ruined by the icy glares that Sakura would send her whenever she suspected that the blonde was trying to pull information out of her.

"Come on Sakura!" Ino whined as she threw herself down on her best friends light green bed spread, she sighed heavily and blew her bangs out of her face. She crossed her arms under her chin and looked up at Sakura who was sitting cross legged on her bed looking down at her. "I need something to work with here! Karin is going to kill me if I don't give her some details."

"I don't like Karin." Sakura said plainly, "So I do not care if she is hungry for the details of my being saved by Sasuke. She'll probably just want to beat me up for it anyway."

"You know I would never let her do that!" Ino said matter-o-factly.

"So?" Sakura countered, "She's still going to be seethingly angry."

"But I wanna know really bad forehead!"

Sakura paused for a moment before she decided that she would fill Ino in on the details, in order to shut her up and stop her whining.

"Fine." She said, "I'll tell ya pig. But it's nothing extraordinary."

"I'm all ears!" Ino said excitedly as she sat up and clapped her hands happily, giggling like a school girl.

"The guys were chasing me and I ran into the parking lot, Sasuke was there on the other end of it and so I called him- well like screamed actually. Anyway- he turned around and thats when the guys grabbed me." Sakura paused to look at the face of her friend and rolled her eyes and the look of bliss that was adorning the blondes soft features, "He took his sweet time getting to me." She added just to watch Ino furrow her brows in dissapproval for a moment, before continuing. "Then he just walked up behind Gaara and says his name and so he turns around and says Sasuke's name- and they just like stare at eachother for a long time- I thought they hated eachother, it seemed that way."

Sakura paused and took a breath, remembering how thankful she had been for the fact that Sasuke had been there- not only thankful but glad. She was glad that it was him who had been there, and she knew that it was because she was developing a crush on the guy. And she hated it.

"Anyway!" Ino said motioning for her to snap out of it and get on with the story.

"Anyway." Sakura said "One of the guys like reached into my shirt, and Sasuke looked over and then bam- he pulled out...a _gun_."

"A gun!" Ino gasped clasping her hands together tightly, "That is so...sexy!"

"Oh shut up." Sakura said rolling her eyes and going on with the story, "Anyway, he put it to Gaara's forehead and told him to let me go, and just like that they all left and I was free."

"And then he drove you back to school!"

"Yeah- he did."

"Sakura!" Ino squealed, "What were you thinking afterward? What do you think about it all now?"

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked carefully

"I mean," Ino said smirking at the pink haired girl sitting across from her on the small twin sized bed, "When are you going to admit that you think he's gorgeous? And that you've developed a crush on him hm?"

"Never." Sakura said plainly, and she meant it. She would never admit it, especially not to Ino.

Naruto was sitting with Sasuke in his car, Sasuke was drving and they were on their way to the party that Naruto had been planning on going to. The rambunctious blonde was currently working very hard to get the information he wanted out of Sasuke. However, Sasuke was a hard nut to crack. He would silence Naruto with icy glares whenever Sakura was brought up.

"Listen Teme." Naruto said as they pulled up to the house in which the party was being held, "I can tell that you're keeping something from me, and I wanna know what it is. I wanna know why you pulled a gun on Gaara-"

"How did you even know that." Sasuke demanded sharply.

"Ino." Naruto replied simply, "She texted me like an hour ago and told me everything that she got out of Sakura."

"Great." Sasuke said running a large hand through his raven locks, "So she's got a big mouth?"

"Who Sakura?" Naruto asked him, "No way. She probably just told Ino to get her shutup, kinda like you do to me sometimes. Why?"

Sasuke just stared at him like it was obvious why he was asking. After a few moments of silence things seemed to have clicked inside Naruto's brain.

"oooooooh." He said, "You think she'll tell about the gun? Nah, don't worry Teme, Sakura isn't like that at all."

"Good." Sasuke said, "Now get out of my car."

"No." Naruto said crossing his arms and grinning wildly, "Tell me why you did it first! Why did you save her?"

"Get out." Sasuke said again, clearly agitated at the blondes refusal to exit his vehicle.

"Tell meeeee." Naruto sang to him, and he began to sing it over and over and over until finally Sasuke put the car in gear and drove away from the party.

"TEME!" Naruto yelled in protest as they drove away from the party, "What are you doing! Bring me back!"

"I'll drop you off here." He said stopping at the corner of the street that the house was on, "3, 2, 1-"

"Okay! Okay!" Naruto said getting out of his friends car, "When will you back to get me?"

_"Whenever."_

"But Teme!"

"Bye." And with that Sasuke drove away leaving an answerless Naruto on the corner of the street.

He felt his phone buzz and pulled it out of his pocket

_"Ino Yamanaka"  
>What did he tell you? Anything good?<em>

_"Naruto Uzumaki"  
><em>_Are you kidding? He dropped me off ON A STREET  
>CORNER FOR CHRISTS SAKE! All because I was<br>trying to get YOU some answers."_

_"Ino Yamanaka"  
>Come on Naruto! Find out why he did it!<em>

Naruto was about to text her back that he could not find out why he did it when he was on the corner of the street and Sasuke was gone when he felt his phone vibrate in his hand and looked to see a text that wasn't from Ino.

_"Teme"  
>Bubblegum.<em>


	3. Not looking at the stars

It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair that all of a sudden she had to be developing a crush on Sasuke. She'd spent her whole high school career loathing the way that he got whatever girl he wanted at the drop of a hat. Now however, he was invading her thoughts- she tried to blame it on the fact that he had helped her escape a no doubt terrible situation, and she was just thankful...but she knew that just being thankful wouldn't bring a blush across her cheeks.

She shook her head trying to banish the thought, her full lips formed a pout and she huffed out just enough air to send her bangs out of her eyes. She crossed her arms, and looked in the mirror.  
>Sasuke and Sakura didn't fit together she decided. His black hair and her pink hair, his onyx eyes with more depth than anything she'd ever seen, guarded and holding secrets she couldn't even fathom were too different from her emerald orbs, that were wide and bright and revealed everything about her in a glance...except for one thing.<p>

She sighed as she stripped out of her clothes and turned on the shower. Steam quickly filled her quaint bathroom to the brim.  
>She could hear Ino talking to someone on the phone, just outside the door and she smiled picturing the way her best friend would be sprawled out on her green comforter, lying on her stomach ankles crossed. The stereotypical image that goes along when one thinks 'teenage girl' or 'blonde'. Sakura snickered to herself.<p>

Ino was ecstatic that she had pulled some answers from her friend, Sakura on the other had was not. Because moments after she had told Ino, she realized that Ino was a gossip queen, and that someone would find out that Sasuke had a gun and it would be her fault. She didn't want that at all, she felt like she owed him and her idea of paying someone back was not to get them expelled. She had sworn Ino to secrecy about the gun- but she still had her doubts that it was even possible for Ino _not_ to tell the whole world. She heard her blonde friend start to laugh hysterically, which of course was followed by a very Ino squeal.  
>She shook her head as she stepped one of her feet on the floor of the shower; and then Ino burst into the room.<p>

"Forehead!" She cried, her face alight with amusement and excitement that meant she could only have a date or someone at school was pregnant.

"Dammit Ino!" Sakura said as she crossed her arms, and put on her 'are you kidding me' face. "Would it kill you to maybe knock first?" Sakura wasn't embarrassed her best friend had seen her naked plenty of times, it was nothing new- she just liked to be prepared when someone was going to burst into the bathroom while she was about to take a shower.

"Yeah yeah whatever." Ino said waving her hands dismissively, the excitement still plain on her face, "Listen to me!"

Sakura grabbed her plush white towel and wrapped it around her body before turning the water off and following the bouncing blonde ball of excitement back into her bedroom. Ino was quick to flop herself back down on the bed, whilst Sakura decided that sitting in her fuzzy pink mushroom chair was better than sitting cross legged in front of her friends face while only wearing a towel.

"I'm all ears." She said waiting for the blue eyed girl to get on with whatever had interrupted her shower.

"We're going out!" Ino announced, clapping her hands together as she so often did.

"What?" Sakura said, disbelief clear in her tone.

"We're going out!" Ino said, "To a party! Naruto invited us!"

"You're kidding me right? It's like 10 o'clock."

"We don't even have school tomorrow Sakura! Come on!"

Sakura weighed her options for a moment before sighing and heading toward her small closet and throwing open the doors with an exasperated sigh. She could feel the energy radiating off of her friend as she came and stood next to the pinkette, no doubt about to tell her what was and was not acceptable to wear out. Sakura preferred clothes that left some room for imagination- Ino not so much, and especially not when going out to a party.

Sakura decided to save herself the trouble of arguing with Ino, and stepped away from the closet, motioning for her friend to find something for her to wear. The smile on Ino's face held enough light to warm the Earth.

"I don't want to look like a hooker, got it Pig?" Sakura said as she walked over to her small vanity and took a seat on the tiny wicker chair. She heard Ino's sarcastic scoff followed by a muffled sound that was very similar to 'I would never.'

Sakura started on her make-up. She didn't enjoy wearing a lot of makeup, and it didn't help that she had already washed her face clean of what she had been wearing earlier in the day. Putting on makeup more than once just seemed like a waste.

She was done covering face in a light ivory concealer, and powdering away any shine that may have lingered when Ino stepped up behind her with the outfit of choice in her hands. Sakura turned toward her and gaped.

"What the hell...did you do to my stuff?" She said quietly fingering the small piece of fabric that Ino had clutched in her right hand.

"Calm down, forehead." Ino said smiling at her and patting her head lightly, "I looked through all of your stuff, and you didn't have anything even close to acceptable!"

"So-" Sakura was dreading the fact that Ino had decided to cut her clothing into mock hooker garb, and she brought a small pale hand to her forehead.

"Sooo, I am going to let you borrow some of my stuff for tonight!" Ino smiled and looked at her friend expectantly, even though she knew that Sakura was less than touched by the gesture. Sakura... didn't enjoy Ino's clothes.

"Thanks." Sakura said plainly, no emotion coloring her tone at all.

"You're welcome _Sasuke._" Ino said as a smirk took the place of the earlier smile on her face.

Sakura stiffened and then looked at her friend in a tired way. She was not, like Sasuke. She was not becoming like him. That was ridiculous! Why did Ino even say that... Her mind was racing a million miles a minute and her thoughts were only interrupted when Ino began to laugh.

"You should see the look on your face right now forehead!" She was doubled over in fits of laughter, and gained her composure after a few more moments of choking on air, "It's priceless really. You look freakin' petrified."

"Oh haha, yeah! I was like..." Sakura trailed off not having anything else to say and not wanting to start rambling like an idiot. Truth was, she was scared; scared that she was thinking about Sasuke so much that she was starting to act like him.  
>The thought didn't sit well with her, even though she knew that it was borderline ridiculous. She had been herself for seventeen years, there was no way that she was going to turn into a mini Sasuke, just because all of a sudden she had maybe perhaps but probably not (definitely) developed a slight (huge) crush on him.<p>

Ino just smirked at her friend and headed into the bathroom to get changed into the outfit she had chosen for herself. Sakura sat down on her bed, and tried to shake the thoughts away- but they were relentlessly assaulting her mind and she couldn't do anything about it. She thought about the way Sasuke had pulled the gun out of his belt, as if it were second nature to him...and she thought that maybe that's because it _was_ second nature to him.

"Sakura?" Ino asked, the excited edge completely vanished from her high voice, "Are you okay?"

Sakura looked over to see a small hand placed on her shoulder, and then looked up to meet the concerned eyes of her friend. She smiled up at her and then raised a brow when her emerald eyes took in the attire she was wearing. It was a 'dress' and there was a slit in the front that came down past her belly button...this dress gave whole new meaning to a deep v-neck. It was blood red and sequined, standing out strikingly against Ino's long blonde hair. To top it off she had on stiletto heels- they were shiny and black and made her 5 inches taller than she really was. Sakura shook her head.

"Ino...you look like a damn stripper." She said slowly, and the concerned look on Ino's face was quickly replaced by one of satisfaction.

"Whatever forehead." She said rolling her eyes at the pinkette still clad in only a towel, "Get dressed and let's go!"

Sakura went into the bathroom and examined the clothes Ino had chosen for her and audibly gulped. The outfit consisted of an ultra mini black pleated skirt, and a strapless green tank that matched her eyes, and laced up with ribbon in the back. She sighed as she slipped into the outfit- and reminded herself not to breathe too deeply or the shirt would rip. Ino came in then and laced up the back of her shirt, just an insy bit too tightly. Sakura felt exposed in the clothes, she didn't even have a bra on...and she knew that the material was thin enough that she may as well have ditched the shirt all together.

Ino smiled in the mirror and Sakura saw the mischievous glint in her eyes. The pinkette groaned in anticipation of what was coming. Makeup.

"Let me fix up your eyes forehead?" Ino asked innocently, and Sakura knew that she wasn't really asking at all. She sighed and nodded her head as Ino dragged her from the bathroom and back out to the small vanity in her simple bedroom. Ino tackled her own face first and adorned her eyes with a heavy black eyeshadow that sparkled like some sort of explosion. She glued on some fake eyelashes and stained her lips blood red. Ino always looked like some sort of super model.

She smiled wickedly at Sakura flashing her stunningly white teeth, and then grabbed some eye shadow.

"You're going to look wonderful forehead!" She said happily, and of course she did the clapping thing that is so characteristically Ino.

When Sakura was done being tortured, she had to admit that she looked exceptional. Ino had taken her likes and dislikes into consideration. She had a thick line of eyeliner extenuating her green eyes, and Ino had glued some fake eyelashes on her as well. She had just barely tinged her pale cheeks with some pink blush to emphasize her 'great' facial structure, as Ino had put it. And to finish it off she had lightly glossed her pale pink lips.

Sakura ended up looking a lot less out there than Ino, but just as stunning. On their way out the door Ino looked down and her face instantly paled. Sakura tried to comprehend the look on her friends face to no avail.

"Pig?" She asked hesitantly, "Are you okay?"

Ino just shook her head in response, her messy blonde curls bouncing as she did so. And then very slowly she raised her head to look at Sakura, there was a fire in her eyes as she raised one manicured finger and pointed at Sakura's feet.

"You will not wear those shoes!" She said in a voice just above a deathly whisper, "With that outfit."

Sakura hung her head in mock embarrassment, dammit, she had almost gotten away with too. Sakura made her way into her lightly decorated blue living room, and sat down on her loveseat. It was tattered and a little worn but it had character.

She looked around the room and sighed, it was a little bit run down but it was all she could afford on her own. And that's just what she was, on her own. So she took pride in her small apartment, even though the white carpets were maybe a little bit stained and only burner on her stove worked properly. She was taking care of herself, and that was all that mattered. She leaned down and took off her flip flop shoes, right as Ino came bounding into the room with a pair of stilettos for Sakura herself.

Sakura was relieved to see that the heels were only 3 inches tall- and she liked open toed shoes. She decided that it could be worse and laughed at the fact that Ino had hot glued a flouncy flower that matched the shirt Sakura was wearing onto the toe of the black shoes.

"I really appreciate the effort pig." Sakura said as she slipped her feet into the shoes and stood up, "Maybe tonight isn't going to be so bad after all."

"It won't!" Ino said and she slung her arm around the shorter girls neck careful not to mess up the hair do that she had worked so hard on. Sakura's pink hair was pinned up in an array of curls, and looking spunky but elegant at the same time...it was very different from Ino's waist length blonde curls that hung loosely around her.

The girl got into Ino's little red convertible and headed toward the party where Naruto had told Ino he would be waiting for them. When Ino's phone rang and Sakura saw that it was Naruto so she made to answer the phone; but Ino snatched it away.

And Sakura thought that maybe she had been wrong when she had thought that they wouldn't make a good couple.

"Hey!" Ino said animatedly, "We're on our way!"

Pause

"Yeah! We both look great of course!"

Pause

"That's a bummer Naruto." But Ino didn't sound 'bummed' at all. "Okay I'll see you soon!"

When they arrived at the party Sakura had lost her nerve. She was no longer as optimistic as she had been earlier, and was instead dreading going into the public eye so scantily clad. Her best friend however had gotten even more pumped up than she was before, and yanked the pink haired girl out of the car and through the front doors of the mansion like home where the party was being thrown.

"Naruto!" Ino had called, the second her eyes fell upon the blonde boy, who Sakura had to admit looked dashing in his red shirt and black pants...Sakura then glanced at Ino and burst into laughter, her mood suddenly alarmingly better. They matched, everything about them matched.

Naruto sauntered over to where the two girls were standing and smiled at them before he looked at Sakura and gaped.

"Eh...Sakura?" He said slowly, "You um...what are you wearing?"

"Ino dressed me!" Sakura said as she put her hands up defensively, "Ask her what I'm wearing because it's hers!"

"You should see the back!" Ino said grabbing her friend by the arm yet again and spinning her around so Naruto could see the ribbons that made up the back of Sakura's shirt. "It's hot huh?"

"You can...see her whole back..." Naruto said disbelief coloring his tone, "Jeeze, Sakura. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Shut up." Sakura said and she stomped off to get something to drink, ignoring the nagging feeling in her brain telling her that it wasn't smart to wander off alone.

"Don't get lost!" Naruto called.

"Yeah be careful forehead!" Ino added, "Wouldn't want _Sasuke _to have to rescue you again!"

Sakura didn't even turn around, she simply flipped Ino off as she kept walking in the opposite direction of the two blondes.

She made her way through the house and found herself in the kitchen, she didn't like to intrude but she was thirsty. So she opened up the fridge and rummaged around until she found a bottle of a water. She made her way back through the house and into the backyard, where thankfully no one else was. At least she hadn't seen anybody else, until the boy just appeared in front of her face.

"Hello." He said, and Sakura couldn't help but think that his black eyes and black hair looked so much better on Sasuke, she mentally cursed herself for having such a thought but in all honesty she was used to it now...it had been happening all day. Only after hearing someone clear their throat did Sakura realize that she had forgotten to acknowledge the boy in front of her.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I was kinda lost in my thoughts there! Hi, how are you? My name is Sakura Haruno, what's yours?" She had tried to make up for being rude with her rambling, and realized that she probably just sounded crazy. But the boys face was amused, and he smiled at her before answering.

"My name is Hiashi, I'm doing well and you?" He moved so he was standing next to her, and then leaned back using the brick of the house for support. He crossed his arms and under the dim lights of the back porch, she noticed that his arms were small, and they were bare of any tattoo's...

Wait, since when did she even like tattoos? She had always thought they were so tacky...

"I um-" She struggled to clear the images- of how Sasuke's muscles rippled whenever he crossed his arms- out of her head, "I am doing okay."

"Are you enjoying the party?" Hiashi asked her as he turned his head to the side and looked at her with his very boring black eyes.

"Not really." She said honestly, "I'm not one for parties, my friend kinda dragged me here."

"Oh, you look like the type of girl who parties to me." He said as he moved from the wall and came to stand in front of her.

Sakura didn't like the way that he was eying her, and immediately felt even more exposed than she already had. She tried not to take offense to the suggestion behind his words, and instead just smiled lightly and shook her head. She saw the boy shake his head and watched as he placed a hand on the house, right next to her head. She didn't like the way that he was leaning in so close to her, and especially didn't like that she felt pinned there when he added his other arm.

"Are you sure?" He said leaning even closer to the girls face.

"Positive." Sakura said, "I am positive."

"I think your lying," He whispered, and his breath fanned her face, he reeked of alcohol and that fact made Sakura even more uneasy.

"Well I'm not." She said as she ducked out from beneath his arms and made her back inside. She could hear him calling for her to wait, but it only made her run faster in order to find Naruto and Ino. But when she found them she was not too happy with their sobriety.

"Heyyyyyyyyy!" Ino squealed from her seat on Naruto's lap, "Howw're yoou doiiing?"

"You're drunk." Sakura said with a horrified hint to her voice, "Ino! You're my ride home!"

"We can get a ride from Narutooo!" Ino said as she hugged the boys neck tightly, he was grinning like a mad man and nodding his head vigorously.

"Naruto...is drunk too." Sakura said placing her hands on her hips, "Why can't you just make responsible decisions!"

"Whooa." Naruto said putting his hands up defensively, "Listen'ta me. Sakkra! I am reposibinle."

"I think you mean _responsible_ Naruto." Sakura said condescendingly, "And clearly you are not if you have to drive home!"

"Imma be fine'ta drive." Naruto said as he stood up, knocking Ino on her butt. They both laughed hysterically and Sakura began to panic just a little more than she already was. She didn't know how to get back to her house from here, and she didn't know how to drive. The last thing she wanted was to end up stuck at someones house who she didn't know with a bunch of random drunk people, and the last last thing she wanted was to get thrown out of said house and stay on the streets.

"Oh my God." She said, "We're stuck here and it's all your fault! All your fault!" She pointed at the two blondes who were now dancing like morons and didn't seem to hear her at all. She shook her head and sat down where her two friends had been seated previously. There were people practically having sex all around her, who knew what kind of drugs the kids were doing underneath the rotating disco ball lights, and she was stuck, because her two friends that had made her come here were just as drunk as the rest of them.

Sakura stayed seated with her face in her hands until she felt someone take a seat next to her, she had completely lost sight of Naruto and Ino, and wouldn't have doubted if they were off having sex- that neither of them would remember- with each other. She looked to her left and saw the boy from before, Hiashi grinning madly at her.

"Hi?" She said questioning his presence openly.

"I thought that you could use some company!" He said enthusiastically, and for a moment Sakura felt bad for being rude, "I'm surprised someone as sexy as you doesn't have company already baby."

"Don't call me baby." Sakura said, no longer feeling rude at all.

"Don't be like that baby!" He said leaning toward her like he had been before, and he smelled even more strongly of alcohol than he had previously.

"I said don't, and I meant it." She said threateningly, but it had no effect on him and he leaned in even closer and tried to capture her lips with his own. Before she realized what she was doing Sakura raised a fist and punched him as hard as she could in the nose. He looked taken aback and beyond pissed, Sakura was afraid of what he was going to do in his current drunken state, so she thought fast and she socked him again just as hard, and before he had time to recover she ran.

It wasn't easy to run in high heels, and it wasn't comfortable to run in a mini skirt, or a skin tight shirt without a bra underneath; but Sakura paid it no mind and she just ran. She was colliding with people left and right, getting all sorts of alcoholic concoctions spilled all over her but she didn't stop running. When she made her way through the front doors she found Ino and Naruto sprawled out on the lawn tangled together in an array of limbs, thankfully completely clothed.

"You little bitch!" She heard Hiashi call from the doorway, and as she was running toward Naruto and Ino she felt her ankle roll and she lost her balance- but she only stumbled and kept on running until she collapsed by her two entangled friends.

"Naruto!" She said urgently and the blonde boy even in his drunken state snapped his head up and looked at her to show she had his attention, she heard a muffled protest from Ino but ignored it, "Help..." She said and then she felt a strong grip tug her up by her hair.

She was brought face to face with Hiashi before Naruto got himself together and tore her away from him, she felt all the pins come loose as fell around her shoulders in wild waves. She stumbled backward and for the first time felt the pain in her ankle from when she had rolled her earlier. Sakura had taken enough medical courses in preparation for med school to know that her ankle was badly sprained, but at least not broken.

Ino was scrambled to sit up and positioned herself next to Sakura.

"Stoooooop!" She shrieked, for Naruto was now fighting Hiashi and due to both boys' current intoxication, the fight was fairly matched and very sloppy, neither boy could block and each one was landing several hits in a row on the others face, but lucky for Sakura and Ino, Naruto proved to be the victor by kneeing Hiashi in the gut and following with an uppercut. Hiashi fell to the ground and groaned, before promptly emptying the contents of his stomach on the grass. Naruto came back to sit on the grass where the two girls were seated and slung his arm around Ino's neck.

And that's when Sakura began to cry. She cried because she had almost gotten herself into trouble again, she cried because she was stuck on this lawn with her two very drunk friends and she cried because her ankle was hurt and she didn't know how she was supposed to attempt to walk home. Naruto and Ino eyed her curiously, but didn't ask any questions, probably assuming that she herself had had a little too much to drink.

And that's when Ino began to laugh hysterically and Naruto began to go on a rant about how Hiashi was an asshole. And so there the three of them sat, one of them sobbing the other one laughing and the last one screaming angrily. They stayed they way for what felt like forever, and Sakura knew that they looked like a bunch of drunk idiots.

Ino stopped laughing first and just stared up at the _sky_ in awe, seconds after Naruto stopped shouting like a madman, followed her gaze and then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Sakura though, did not look up from the ground, or cease her sobbing in the least. Instead she closed her eyes tightly hit her two fists on the ground and raised her face to the sky as well, but not to look at the stars, or whatever, like her friends, she raised her head to scream at God or whoever inhabited the clouds.

"How am I going to get home!" She wailed, and her sobbing ceased for just a moment so she could hiccup, and just long enough for hear Naruto say in his very slurred drunk voice:

"Hiya Teme!"

Oh, Sakura thought; so they hadn't been looking at the stars after all.


	4. Bonding

Sakura's green eyes clashed with the onyx pools above her. He was wearing a rather smug expression, and his arms were crossed over his chest. He hadn't changed his clothes since she'd seen him last while they were still in the school parking lot. Sakura was not pleased with the rush of relief that flooded through her at seeing the beyond gorgeous boy standing before her wearing his trademark scowl.

"Sasuke..." Sakura said a little breathlessly, hating the fact that he looked more like an angel to her in this moment than anything ever had before. He just smirked at her in response and uncrossed his arms. His attention was diverted from her when a very drunk Ino began to speak, or began _trying _to speak rather.

"Oh Sasuke!" She said, "Ya look-soooh vury nice ta' me!" She had made her way to her feet and stumbled considerably, Sasuke made no move to help her. She made a move to slink her arms around his neck, and he side stepped her swiftly, resulting in the blonde girl toppling to the ground and flashing the world a nice view of her undergarments, or lack thereof.

"Gross." Sasuke said bluntly, and he turned away from where she was laying on her face. His eyes met Sakura's once again, and he held her gaze for just a moment before turning his attention to Naruto, who had scrambled over to Ino and was helping her to feet. It was an odd sight to see, beings that the boy himself was not very steady when he stood, and the two of them wobbled a great deal as they attempted to stand. Sakura chose to remain seated on the grass in order to avoid looking like an idiot and embarrassing her self the way her two blonde friends were doing currently. She settled for staring at her small hands, and occassionally very frequently sneaking peeks at Sasuke.

"Sasuke Teme!" Naruto announced loudly as he and Ino turned to face the stoic Uchiha and the sniffling pinkette. Sasuke merely raised a brow in inquiry at his beyond drunk friend. Naruto squinted his eyes and then shook his head with a flustered look on his face, "I neeja ta' take ma friends home!"

"What." Sasuke said bluntly. Not hiding trying to hide the discontent in his voice even a little bit. Naruto just grinned at him and sloppily kissed Ino on the mouth in response. Sasuke muttered disgusting and then made his way back toward his car, with Naruto and Ino hobbling after him.

Sakura however, stayed seated on the grass and began to openly sob again. She heard the doors to Sasuke's car slam and she just knew that they had driven off without her. And even though she really hadn't wanted to get into Sasuke's car, or tell him that she had no idea how to get home, she would have much preferred it to sitting on the grass alone and being there, helpless and vulnerable when Hiashi woke up.

And it was just Sakura's luck that as the thought was formed, Hiashi began to twitch. She stifled a gasp as the boy stood up, his eyes ablaze. He looked down at her and moved one foot slowly in her direction.

.

.

Sasuke watched in disgust as the two plastered blondes flung themselves into the backseat of his car. He almost grimaced when he thought of how likely it was that they would destroy his backseat with vomit and or sexual secretions, _almost. _He sighed and shook his head lightly. He turned his head back in the direction of where he had first found the three drunkards sprawled out along the lawn, looking like an add that scares teens away from drinking. Or at least tries to scare them. None of those ads work, hell real life experiences don't even work on the thick heads of teenage idiots. He smirked slightly at the thought.

And then he saw her, and he saw the boy who had been passed out get to his feet. His hands immediately clenched into fists, and before he registered what he was doing, he was leaving the drunk blondes alone in his car. It wouldn't have been alarming if one, Sakura hadn't gasped in obvious horror, and two if it hadn't been Hiashi Oburu. Football star, womanizer, sexual deviant, pervert and- if Sasuke didn't step in and save Sakura's ass once again- rapist.

.  
>.<p>

Sakura scrambled to her feet, completely forgetting that her ankle wasn't capable of supporting her weight, she stumbled but was instantly steadied. She felt two strong hands on each of her arms and risked a glance behind her to see whom had helped her. Even though she knew, just _knew_, that it was Sasuke. When her jade eyes met the cold onyx stare that left her breathless, her suspicions were confirmed.

For there stood Sasuke, with a fire in his eyes that made Hiashi's earlier gaze look like the flame of a match. Sakura didn't miss the way that the boy turned around and headed back into the house, with a scowl firmly in place on his less than glorious face. Sakura did not miss the way that Sasuke's hands loosened their grip on her arms once Hiashi was out of site either. And Sakura did not miss the way that Sasuke had let Ino fall straight onto the ground earlier, but not her.

"I didn't take you for the type that got drunk." Sasuke said plainly, his hands still on her upper arms lightly. Unconsciously she leaned into his chest, letting herself relax for the first time all night. He stiffened at the contact- and Sakura immediately moved back into her previous position, the familiar warmth of embarrassment plain on her cheeks.

"I'm not drunk at all." She said, and her un-slurred words and perfect grammar were all the proof that she felt she'd need to give.

"Bullshit." Sasuke said bluntly, "You can't even stand up."

"I twisted my ankle." She said matter-o-factly, and she felt his chest rumble- was he chuckling?

"Sure." He said and he wrapped an arm around her waist and began to lead her to his car.

"I really did." Sakura said, "I was running from Hiashi, and I twisted my ankle. Probably because of these damn shoes that Ino made me wear..." She pouted and blew her bangs from her face as the neared the car.

"Made you wear?" He said.

"Yes. Made me wear. She forced me to wear all of this!" Sakura motioned to her whole outfit as well as her hair- which she had forgotten wasn't up anymore due to Hiashi yanking it out of place.

"You look like a porn star." Sasuke said.

"...what." Sakura said, her voice just above a whisper.

"What?" he countered, "I didn't say it was bad."

"You're saying I look like a whore!" She screamed slapping his chest, "That's pretty bad!"

"Well your shirt _is _see-through." He observed.

"No." Sakura said, a horrified hint to her tone, "It is not..."

"It is." Sasuke said and he opened the passenger side door for her, before looking in the back seat and seething. "What the **fuck **makes you think you can fuck some slut in the back of my fucking car Naruto?"

"Ehh..." Naruto was blushing as he zipped up his pants, and Ino just smiled and tugged her dress back into place, "Sorry Teme?"

"Y'know Sasuke!" Ino said in a voice that Sakura was sure was meant to be alluring, but came out sounding like a choking kitten, "I'coulda go'a round with'ya ifa, ya wanted me'ta."

"Pass." Sasuke said, closing the passenger side door and walking around to the drivers side. He got in the car quickly and brought the engine to life.

Sakura was staring straight ahead, not daring to look back and see if Naruto and Ino were going on to round two. She never wanted to see anything like that again. Ever. The whole thought of sex was disgusting to her. It made her skin crawl and her stomach churn. She shook her head.

"So?" Sasuke said, annoyance clear in his voice.

"Oh." Sakura shook her head once more and laughed nervously, thankful that it was dark so he could probably not see her blushing, "I'm sorry." She said, "I didn't hear you."

"Why were you running." He said, and Sakura could have sworn that she saw his hands tighten around the wheel as he spoke.

"Um. That guy. Hiashi." She said

"Elaborate." It was a command.

"He was chasing me...because I punched him...because he was coming on to me and I kept asking him to stop...and he was saying really rude things and then I just...punched his nose."

"How often to you hit guys in the face?" He asked her, with a hint- just a hint- of disbelief coloring his tone.

"Not often...but it seems to be happening a lot lately... three times in one day." Sakura laughed a little, "You must think I'm some sort of criminal."

"Tch." Sasuke scoffed and shook his head, sending his raven locks flying every which was as he did so, he took one hand off of the steering wheel and ran it through his hair; it fell right back into place, with no evidence of ever being tussled. "Hardly. Three times?" Sasuke questioned, because he only knew of two.

"I punched Hiashi twice." Sakura said timidly, a very small smile on her glossy lips.

"Oh."

"Because I freaked out after the first time, so I just did it again to give myself a chance to run... y'know?"

"No." He said, and Sakura felt disappointed that his vocabulary had gone back to the usual one word responses.

"Um. Sasuke?" She asked after a few moments of silence had elapsed, he turned his head toward her a fraction of an inch to show that she had his attention, "I'm not drunk." She blurted it out without thinking because she had nothing to say after she had said his name, she just wanted to talk to him and it made her crazy.

"I know."

"Do you..." Sakura hesitated not sure if her question would cross any lines, she decided it wouldn't, it was a normal question to ask someone especially a teenager...wait Sasuke had done senior year three times...was he even a teenager any more? She opted to ask him his age instead, it felt safer.

"How old are you?" She looked down at her hands and twirled her fingers nervously, trying not to let on that she really enjoyed talking to him, way more than she wanted to.

"Old." He said, and she could just barely make out the smirk on his face.

"Old?" She said, waiting for him to specify and after another moment of silence, he did.

"Twenty."

"That's not so old." She said absentmindedly, and she caught the hint of excitement in her voice too late.

"Hn." His signature smirk was very apparent in the dim lighting of the car as he turned his head toward her and locked eyes with her for just a moment before turning his attention back to the road, "It's still illegal."

"Wha-" She blushed immediately upon realizing what he meant, and shook her head, humiliated when her voice cracked as she tried to protest, "No- that's um th-that's not why I was um asking."

"Tch." He scoffed, "Sure."

"Shut up." She said, and her attempt at forcefulness only made him chuckle lightly, her face was on fire, and once again she thanked the dim lighting for hiding her blush, and cursed the Uchiha for causing it.

Silence. He didn't respond to her, he didn't scoff he just rolled his eyes and kept focused on the road. And that's when Sakura realized that she didn't exactly know where she was at, and it made her feel uneasy because she didn't know Sasuke very well, and from what she did know he was trouble.

What if...he was going to take them out into the woods and kill them? What if he was a master of torture or something- she pictured him with blood red eyes that thirsted for blood shed... that thirsted to inflict pain, and she must have visibly flinched because Sasuke spoke right as she did it.

"What." He said bluntly, his voice holding no curiosity at all.

"Where are we going?" She said meekly, and she looked out her window and noticed that there wasn't a thing she recognized.

"Naruto's."

"Teme!" Naruto said loudly, surprising both the raven haired man and the rosette at his side, for he hadn't spoken it what felt like forever. Sakura looked back and saw that Ino was passed out, just a little bit of drool running out of the corner of her mouth. She giggled a little and pulled her cell phone out of her little purse, quickly snapped on the flash and took Ino's picture.

"What." Sasuke said, agitation once again dripping from his words...or word rather.

"I uh cannot'a go home ta' Jiraya liiiiike thiissss!"

"That's not my problem." Sasuke said bluntly

"I'ma stayin!" Naruto declared, "With'ya my bestest'a budddddy!"

Sasuke seemed to debate this for a moment and then sighed, running a hand through his raven locks once again, and Sakura tried- like really tried- not to stare. But it didn't work. He looked like a model for God's sake.

"How do I get you home?" Sasuke asked her, ignoring the fact that she was ogling him, because of course he had seen...he see's everything. (Creep.)

"Um. I...I..." She fumbled over which way to word the fact that she had absolutely no idea how to get back to her house from here...or really any where for that matter. Her sense of direction was incredibly poor. He stared at her as if to say 'well', and she sighed heavily and shook her head, "I um, don't know." Her voice came out meeker than she thought it ever had before, and she shut her eyes tightly just waiting for him to yell at her. But he didn't.

"How well is it going to go over with your parents that you're staying at my place then?"

Sakura's mouth hung open; she was sure that her jaw had come unhinged because it was on the floor...Along with Naruto's.

"Um, I don't have parent's." She said, with just a hint of regret coloring her tone. Just a hint. "So, that would be fine, but I mean you don't have to do that- I can just tell you my address and we can drive there, so-"

"No." He said, "I don't want to spend all the gas money."

"But Teme-" Naruto began to protest.

"Shut up Naruto." Sasuke said cuttingly, and Naruto did as he was told and slumped back into his seat with a wide grin on his face, that Sakura didn't understand.

"What about your parents?" Sakura asked him, and Sasuke just smirked the smirk that he may as well have invented.

"Don't worry about it." He said, and so she didn't.

"Sasuke...Thank you." Sakura said to him and she smiled at him sweetly when he turned to look at her.

"How do you know Hiashi." Was the only response she was given, and so she sighed all hope diminished that she might get a your welcome, or an of course, or anything semi nice.

"I don't. I met him tonight. Why? Who is he?" Worry was clear in her voice as she thought back to the red headed boy who she hadn't known either, the other boy she had hit, the boy that was in a dangerous _gang._

"No one." Ice.

"But- Gaara?"

"No." Sasuke said, "He's nothing like Gaara."

"Then what-"

"Nothing." Sasuke said cuttingly, and Sakura took that as he cue to shut up, Naruto however did not.

"Hiashi." Naruto said matter-o-factly, "Is the football captain! I think." He paused and then resumed his 'knowledgable' speech, "He's is suuuuch'a perrrrrvert! Mayyne. He's slept with uh tlriplee the womens Teme or I did in ever at all. Knocked-ed 'em on up. And theeeeeeennn LEFT 'EM. Junks in licka that."

"Shut up." Sasuke said, "Nothing you say makes any fucking sense to anyone."

But it had made sense to Sakura. Sasuke was wondering if she was one of the girls Hiashi was trying to get familiar with, of maybe even if he already had. And the thoughts bothered him.

The rest of the ride consisted of Naruto laughing quietly to himself and Sasuke scowling as he stared out the front window. Sakura merely looked at her hands, occasionally stealing glances at the raven haired boy beside her.

She noticed that throughout the whole ride Sasuke had not turned on the radio, it was a random fact, but she found it interesting. She found him interesting.

After only about ten minutes they had reached a house located pretty much in the middle of nowhere. There were no street lights and the surrounding area was vacant...there were no trees and there were no bushes...it was all what looked in the dark like wheat fields. The house itself had a large yard full of grass- though Sakura couldn't tell if it was green or not because it was ridiculously dark. Sasuke pressed a button on his key ring and the garage slid open, they drove in smoothly and the door slid closed again behind them.

Sasuke came around the front of the car and helped Sakura get out of the car. She was about to protest and say that she'd just hop when he swung her up into his arms bridal style and kicked open the door that lead into the house. Sakura had unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck, and she looked back at Naruto who was helping Ino out of the car. Only Naruto didn't pick Ino up, he just held her by the waist and led her inside. Sasuke flipped on the lights, Sakura still cradled in his arms. And she couldn't help but to relish in the way that his skin was on her skin- and she loved the way it felt.

The house itself had not looked very large on the outside, but then again it had been dark, so she couldn't see very much clearly. However, once inside it was clear that the house was very spacious, and even though Sasuke had told her not to worry; Sakura was nervous about meeting such rich parents and siblings when she looked like a 'porn star' and Ino was super drunk. But no one came to meet them as they entered into the very modern, very expensive looking living room.

The furniture was black leather and consisted of a large sectional and two matching recliners. In the center of the room was very sheik square table, it was glass topped. In the corner of the room was a tall plant, and hanging from the sun room was another plant, that had vines cascading down the side of the pot it was in. The whole room was rather large, and the floor was a plush gray carpet.

Naruto plopped himself down on the sectional and propped his feet on the table with Ino draped over his lap, her feet were on the leather and Sakura starred at them with a horrified expression on her beautiful face, but Sasuke only sighed and moved to take a seat on the other side of the sectional. Sakura was still in his lap, and when he made no move to move her himself she scurried out of his hold and took a seat next to him rather than on him. He looked at her curiously, eyebrows raised and then turned his attention back to whatever was on TV. Sakura sighed and looked over to see that both Ino and Naruto had fallen asleep. Mouths hanging open. They were going to themselves when they woke up in the morning, no doubt about it. Ino especially...she thought back to the scene that had unfolded before her in the backseat of Sasuke's car.

She giggled a little before she realized that she was pretty tired herself. She managed to stay awake for three episodes of whatever demolition show was on the television screen, but before she knew it her head was on Sasuke's chest his arm was slung lazily around her waist and she was falling asleep. She was going to move, but when she looked up and saw that he was asleep himself, she figured what the hell. And she let her eyes close and drifted off to sleep.


	5. Sakura's suffering

Sakura awoke to the sound of giggles and snorting. To the sounds of Ino doubled over and Naruto slapping his knee. She fought against the oncoming wave of sound, wanting to stay cuddled and warm in her blankets just a little longer. But her eyes began to flutter and her body began to wake up, even though her mind had other plans. She felt movement beneath her, and was completely awake the moment she heard a velvet voice say 'hn'.

Immediately she was aware of the arms around her waist- and of the fact that her legs were tangled together with someone else's, one of them hooked around the waist of the man beneath her. She wanted to close her eyes and fall back asleep- to pretend she was not in this awkward situation...but she couldn't, because as she lifted her head from Sasuke's chest her eyes met his...and his face was hard.

"Get off." He said cuttingly, and so she scrambled to her feet sending the blankets they were covered in falling to the ground and ignoring the crippling pain that was caused by putting weight on her ankle. When had they laid down? Last she remembered they were sitting up- with no blankets covering them, not snuggled up like lovers after loving! She felt her face flush red at the sight of Sasuke's annoyed face- she felt humiliated and she couldn't exactly pin down why.

"Oh Teme!" Naruto said brightly, his hands clutching his sides to help ease the pain that was induced from laughing so hard. "Everyone is gonna love these pictures Ino took!"

Sasuke went rigid where he lay, and it didn't go unnoticed by Sakura. She sighed, of course- she was humiliated because he was embarrassed by her. She knew that she shouldn't take it to heart, because Sasuke had never really been seen with any girls around school...but she couldn't shake the cloud of disappointment that was hanging over her head. She tried to shrug it off, but she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she did, and Ino was quick to catch on.

"Sakura?" She asked tentatively, reaching out toward the pink haired girl who was just standing there looking unbelievably awkward.

"Yeah?" She asked, and her voice croaked just barely enough that everyone could tell she was on the brink of tears.

"Wanna go home?" Ino said, walking over to her friend and hugging her tightly. Sakura shook her head as she returned the hug. "Why not?" Ino asked her, and as the words left her mouth she pulled away from Sakura quickly and took off down the hallway.

"Third door on the left Ino!" Naruto yelled as he took off behind her. She watched the blonde boy rocket through Sasuke's house, not caring if he bumped into or broke anything; it was then that Sakura remembered she hadn't seen Sasuke's family. And she attempted to make the situation a bit less awkward.

"Sasuke?" She asked, as she took a seat next to him and he turned his head toward her and nodded, his face looked a lot less angry than it had earlier and for that she was thankful. "Where are your parents?"

The cold look from earlier was immediately back in place.

"None of your fucking business." He stood from where he had been seated and headed up the flight of stairs in the hallway.

"Why are you such an asshole!" Sakura called after him, her fists were clenched tightly in her lap, and she shook her head lightly as she looked at him.

He had stopped walking. His back was turned to her but he was still standing right at the bottom of the stairs. And Sakura was able to see the way his back muscles flexed whenever he clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Well are you going to answer me?" She said tauntingly, because she could tell that she was bothering him.

"They're dead." He spat as he spun around to face the pink haired girl. Her bright green eyes were wide and her mouth was agape. His parents were dead...she immediately felt bad for asking about it, even though she knew it was an honest mistake to make. She had no idea that they had died, because of course if she had, she wouldn't have asked. Not only that, she felt terrible for calling him an asshole now too...She could feel her face tinge scarlet.

"That's not what I meant..." She said, reaching toward him unconsciously wishing that she could take it all back. She saw the pain on his face momentarily before it was masked again by his ever present stoic expression.

"That's the answer." He said icily as he turned away from her again, "To both of your fucking questions."

And with that he headed up the stairs and disappeared from her line of vision. Leaving Sakura to sit there, red in the face about what had happened.

Sakura thought that maybe now she understood why Sasuke was so stoic, and she thought it must be because he was in pain. Constant pain. And she made the decision right there that she was going to help ease his pain, somehow.

.

.

.

Naruto returned to living room with an expression on his face that screamed panic and Ino followed behind him with the exact same expression dancing in her droopy blue eyes. The two blondes dragged themselves over to where Sakura was sitting, and only when Ino burst into tears did Sakura realize that her own face was damp from the tears she hadn't realized she'd been crying. Sakura dried her eyes and tried to shift her focus onto her best friend instead of the gorgeous boy who was upstairs doing who knows what feeling who knows what.

"Ino?" Sakura said concern clear in her voice, "What's wrong?"

The blonde girl closed her crying eyes and tears continued to stream down her face as she took a deep breath. When she met Sakura's gaze her tears had diminished substantially, and she ran a hand through her tangled blonde locks before attempting to smile at the green eyed girl before her.

"Sakura, last night at the party-" Her voice began to crack as she continued to speak to her best friend about the night before. "I had sex."

"Ino?" Sakura said questioningly, "You have sex all the time..."

"No, listen." Ino said, choking on the sobs that had began to rake through her whole body, "I don't know who it was. And, And, I need to go get tested. Sakura I'm scared."

And with that the blonde girl who was usually so very bright and cheerful fell into the lap of her pink haired best friend and didn't hold back the tears that were soaking Sakura's pale legs. Sakura just raised a brow as she stroked Ino's hair, a small smile on her lips.

"The same thing happened to me." Naruto whispered looking at his hands, not daring to meet the gaze of Sakura who kept patting Ino's head, the smile never leaving her face.

"It's okay guys." Sakura said, no worry in her tone at all. She thought back to the night before and let a small giggle escape her lips. Her thoughts completely off of the raven haired boy who still hadn't returned from upstairs. Until she looked up from the crying girl in her lap and met the deep gaze that was now so familiar to her. His black eyes were not amused.

"What's going on." He demanded as his onyx eyes took in the scene before him and he crossed his arms over his chest. His bare chest.

Sakura felt her face flush and she cursed him once again, because only moments before had her face regained it's normal complexion. She peeled her eyes away from his form, with an adamant amount of difficulty, and not before noticing that he had six pack abs that were screaming for her hands to be ran along them.

He cleared his throat, and despite Sakura's embarrassment she was pleased to see that his smirk was back on his face, and not only because it made him look even more irresistible.

"Ah, Sasuke." She said, "Naruto and Ino are both really upset."

"Why." Was the icy response that the information given had gotten from the Uchiha in front of them.

"Well," Sakura said, stifling a round of giggles, "They both had sex with someone last night, and they don't know who they were, so they're worried that they may have contracted AIDS or something."

Sasuke just looked at them with a raised eyebrow. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, and then much to Sakura's delight he chuckled. And he came to sit next to the blonde boy who currently had his head in his hands.

"Teme." Naruto said, "What do you do when you don't know who the hell you banged?"

Sakura tried to hide the chagrin on her face at the blondes statement. So, Sasuke had been in this predicament before...only unlike Naruto and Ino there really had been need to worry. And judging by the way Naruto spoke, Sasuke had been in that situation several times. She couldn't deny that it bothered her, and she couldn't help but wonder how many other girls had woken up next to Sasuke the way she had this morning, and whether or not he had greeted them in the manner she had been met with.

"That's never happened." Sasuke said with the usual ice in his tone, and Sakura couldn't help but let a feeling of relief flood through her body.

"But Teme-" Naruto said dumbly, "You've been with so many-"

"I've never." Sasuke said, with clear emphasis on the word never, "Been with someone and not remembered who they were the next day."

"Teme." Naruto said, looking at the raven haired man with a scrutinizing expression on his tan face, "Why are you telling so many lies? I already know the truth, so who are you trying to fool?"

"Shut up." Sasuke said, getting up and heading into the kitchen. Naruto followed him, leaving Sakura and Ino alone in the living room.

.

.

.

"You're trying to hide things from Sakura." Naruto said once they had entered into the kitchen, "You don't want her to know what you're doing."

"What I've done." Sasuke said reaching into the fridge and pulling out a container of ripe red cherry tomatoes and popping a couple into his mouth.

"So you admit it!" Naruto yelled triumphantly, raising his arms in the air and jumping up and down. He then ran to the trashcan and proceeded to vomit profusely.

"No." Sasuke said as the blonde continued to empty the contents of his stomach into the trash can, heaving and gagging and really producing nothing at all.

"But Teme." Naruto said as he stood upright and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "Yesterday you told her you couldn't take her home because you didn't have gas money. And we both know that's a lie. You're fucking loaded."

"Just drop it." Sasuke said, running a hand through his dark tresses and sighing, "Seriously."

"No." Naruto said, a smile plain on his face, "I'm not gonna drop it. What's the deal with you pretending you don't screw random women either Teme? Huh? What's with that, because everyone knows that you do. You always have."

"It's not like that." Sasuke said, trying to hide the agitation in his voice.

"Then what's it like? Did they all mean something wonderful and special to you? Because you've screwed more women than either of us have fingers or toes, and there's no way that they meant anything to you, because you kick 'em out of your bed right after it's over. You've never had a girl spend the night here. And I know that's why you freaked out this morning when you woke up all cuddled with Sakura."

"Stop it." Sasuke said cuttingly, "None of them fucking meant anything to me. No one fucking means anything to me."

"That's a lie." Naruto said just above a whisper, "And you know it."

"Whatever."

"So then Teme." Naruto said ignoring the daggers being glared at him, and pretending he couldn't feel the urge to kill him radiating from the Uchiha who was still eating cherry tomatoes by the handful. "Why do you like her?"

"I don't."

"You're lying." Naruto challenged him, "Tell me the truth Sasuke. Tell me why it is that all of a sudden, you're looking out for Sakura."

The Uchiha seemed to debate whether or not telling his blonde best friend the truth was a good idea or something he would regret. He decided it was something he would regret, ran a hand though his hair, took a deep breath and began to speak.

.

.

.

.

Sakura was sitting with Ino on the couch, both of them lost in their own thoughts. For Sakura, she was wondering about how she could help Sasuke and for Ino, she was wondering who she had slept with.

"Sakura?" The blonde asked her best friend, trying to regain her composure and be rational about the situation at hand. "Do you think it'll be okay?"

"Oh Ino." Sakura said deciding that the girl had had enough torture for one lifetime, "You're going to be fine, you were acting really disgusting, that's the truth. However, you only slept with Naruto. So both of you can stop worrying."

The relief on Ino's face far outweighed the humiliation of sleeping with Naruto, and she sighed heavily letting herself fall onto her back with her arms outstretched on the Uchiha's leather furniture. She giggled happily as the thoughts of AIDS left her mind, she felt light as a feather and much cleaner than she had before. Sure sleeping with Naruto was not on her list of things to do, but he was one of her friends and so it made the fact that they had shared an experience such as this a lot more bearable. And she felt like now she still had her dignity.

"I'm so happy." Ino said loudly, "Thank God!" And with that she jumped up from where she was laying and wrapped her arms around Sakura's neck tightly. The pinkette's jade green eyes bulged from her head and she was sure that if her friend didn't release her soon, she would pop all the blood vessels in them. Thankfully, Ino let go before that happened.

"Good Ino." Sakura said as she reveled in the feeling of taking in oxygen, "I'm glad that you're happy."

"Wait." Ino said, her lips pouting in concentration as she raised a finger to her chin and looked upwards quizzically, "How do you know that it was Naruto?"

"Ino, you had sex with Naruto...in the backseat of Sasuke's car while he was driving us here." Sakura froze as she watched her friends expression go from relieved, to horrified, to disbelieving, to disgusted, and then to smug. Sakura was not expecting the smug look of triumph to adorn the features of her friend upon hearing that she had had sex with a boy she wasn't interested in, in the back of someones car, while said someone was driving it.

"So, did Sasuke like what he saw?"

Sakura raised a brow and laughed to herself, "I wouldn't say that." She said, "You fell on your face and flashed him first...and all he said was 'gross'. Make of that what you will."

"But! What-"

"Wait, " Sakura said holding her hand up to silence her best friend, "There's more. You told him you could go a round with him as well." Sakura paused for dramatic effect, "And he said, simply, 'pass.' So, there you have it."

Ino's face was burning scarlet, and it was rare that the blonde girl ever blushed, but Sakura could tell she was mortified. The opportunity was too good to pass up, and so fetched her phone and flipped it open to reveal the picture of Ino passed out drooling in the pack of the Uchiha's car. Ino's face got even redder, and Sakura didn't think it was possible for that to happen. She was now outwardly laughing at her blonde friend, and Ino was just shaking her head in disbelief and mortification.

"Sorry Ino." Sakura said, though there was no trace of repentance in her tone whatsoever. The pinkette ran a hand through her disheveled hair and closed her eyes as she shook her head lightly. "I think we should get ready, it's about time we pick up your car and get back to my apartment."

"No!" Ino said, "Not until my fuckin' hangover is gone and I have redeemed myself in the eyes of Sasuke!"

"I don't think that's going to happen Ino." Sakura said honestly, "I mean-"

"You mean you want him for yourself, is what you mean." Ino said crossing her arms over her chest and staring at Sakura with her smug expression back in place.

"No!" Sakura said, a little too quickly and a bit to defensively.

"So." Ino said, ignoring the futile protest from her friend, "Tell me what happened with you two? Because I can't seem to remember a thing."

"Ino it was nothing, we just fell asleep." Sakura said, knowing that ti was silly to pretend it was nothing to her when Ino knew her far too well to buy into her lies.

"Cut the crap Sak." Ino said as she leaned back and looked at her finger nails, "I want details and I want them now."

Sakura sighed in utter defeat, she knew that like always, she would have to tell her friend what had happened and exactly what she had been thinking. Ino was your traditional dumb blonde high school girl, but sometimes she was far too perceptive for Sakura's liking.

"We were just sitting on the couch." Sakura said, "And then he kinda dozed off, and so I was really sleepy, so I just...like leaned over and put my head on his shoulder and before I knew it I woke up and he was like 'get off!' So. That's really all."

"You like him." Ino said, "You wouldn't have laid on him if you didn't. You avoid any kind of contact like that with guys Sakura." Ino's tone immediately softened when she took in the pained expression on Sakura's face, "Not that it's a bad thing Sakura, I mean I understand."

"Ino." Sakura murmured, "Don't."

And Ino knew that she meant don't go there and don't hint about anything and just shut up. So she took the hint and she nodded lightly as she searched for some way to bring Sakura's mood back up. She couldn't think of anything, she just sat there staring at her hands.

"I...guess," Sakura began to speak hesitantly, and Ino looked at her waiting for her to breakdown as she always did whenever she spoke about this specific topic, but what Sakura said was completely unexpected. "I like him."

The blonde haired girls eyes were sparkling, they were dancing and she felt like she should do a cartwheel. Sakura liked a boy, granted it was Sasuke- the boy that every girl in the world wanted, herself included. However, Ino would step off. If Sakura liked him she was determined for her to have him, because just the fact that she liked a boy meant she was freakin' better, and if she could actually get the boy...she would be freakin' healed.

"I'm so happy!" Ino said, and she embraced the pinkette in yet another tight hug, only this time it was less painful and more comforting. Sakura was laughing lightly. Ino was a good friend, and the green eyes girl knew that she would do whatever it took to see Sakura happy.

"I don't know what to do." Sakura said, "I really don't know him I mean, he saved my life once, and then yesterday he saved probably my virginity..."

"What?" Ino said, "What happened?"

"Hiashi." Sakura said, "He was being really forward and really persistent."

"He always is." Ino offered, "Always has been. I've been with Hiashi a time or two."

"Gross." Sakura said, shaking the image from her head and ignoring the chuckle it emitted from Ino, "Anyway, he like wouldn't take no for an answer so I punched him...twice. And then I ran and he took off after me. I fell and twisted my ankle, and then Naruto attacked him and like knocked him out. Then Sasuke showed up."

"it sounds like Naruto saved you, to me." Ino said absentmindedly.

"He did." Sakura agreed, "But then you and Naruto got into Sasuke's car and I was still sitting on the grass, and then Hiashi started to get up and he came towards me and Sasuke scared him off."

"How?" Ino asked, eager to hear of a fight or another gun being pulled or something intersting and dramatic that she could spread around like herpes.

"I don't know." Sakura said honestly, "Sasuke just looked at him and he ran off the other way."

"That's pretty hot." Ino said dreamily, "able to scare a guy away from you with a just a look. The reputation of Uchiha Sasuke is enough to make a man tremble in fear!" Her voice was getting louder as she went on with her rant and by the end of it she had been screaming like some sort of freak.

"Ino. Hush." Sakura said in an attempt to quiet the girl down, thankfully Ino nodded her head and made a motion to show that she was zipping her lips. Sakura laughed quietly and shook her head.

"So." Ino whispered, "How are we going to make Sasuke your boyfriend?"

"We're not." Sakura said, her face beet red.

"Why not!" Ino said, "It would be magical!"

"Ino, shut up!" Sakura said as she shook her head and sighed, "Let's just leave it alone...plus I mean he has a reputation and everything, and I just don't know yet okay. I don't even know him, I have to know him before I decide if I want something with him..."

"You're just telling yourself that." Ino said smiling, before she dropped her voice down to a whisper and leaned in toward her best friend, "Because we both know that you already want something with him. It's plain on your face. You hate it, but you can't help it."

"And they said you were stupid." Sakura said shaking her head and smiling lightly, "Damn."

"Don't underestimate me Sakura Haruno." Ino Said proudly, "I'm smarter than I'm given credit for."

"Yeah I know." Sakura said to her and then muttered, "Unfortunately."

"Yeah, well. Care to get ready now?" Ino said as she stood up and offered the very unhappy, but not really, Sakura her arm.

"What happened to your hangover?" Sakura asked as she took the blondes arm and followed her into the bathroom.

"My hangovers never last too long." Ino said proudly, "I puke once and bam! It's gone!"

"Well that's just great." Sakura said condescendingly, "I'm sure your parents are so proud."

"Oh yeah." Ino said laughing, super proud. As the girls entered into the bathroom they remembered that they really didn't have anything to assist them in getting ready, so they settled for washing their faces clean of all the previous nights makeup and grease. They didn't even have toothbrushes. They grimaced at their reflections and cringed at the way their breaths must have smelled and decided it would be best to get back to Sakura's apartment as soon as Sasuke was willing to take them.

They headed back into the living room and toward the door of the kitchen, where both girls stopped in their tracks. The guys were still talking and they could hear their conversation through the thin door.

"Why do you like her?" Naruto asked, and though neither girl could see his face it was easy to picture the wide taunting smile that would be adorning his face as he asked the question.

"I don't." And Sakura felt a tug on her heart as she heard the words spoken very angrily by the beautiful guy that she had finally accepted that she liked.

"You're lying." Naruto challenged him and Sakura felt relief wash over her, because surely Naruto knew if he was lying or not. "Tell me the truth Sasuke." He went on, and both Sakura and Ino could feel the anticipation of Sasuke's answer rising within them. "Tell me why it is that all of a sudden, you're looking out for Sakura."

"Because." Sasuke began hesitantly, "I..." He paused and Sakura could have sworn it was just so she would have to suffer, "I knew her father."

And suffer she did...


	6. What he knows

He knew her father, Sakura couldn't stop the strangled sob that erupted from her throat. She raised her hands to cover her mouth in order to muffle the sounds. But not before Ino heard and not before the voices in the kitchen fell dead silent. She didn't care if she had been caught eavesdropping. She didn't care that she was choking on her tears as she slid down the door of the kitchen and came to sit on the ground with her back against it. She didn't care that Ino was crouched in front of her, rubbing her hair and trying to be consoling. All she cared about was that Sasuke knew her father.

It didn't make any sense. How could someone so young- because even though he was older than her, twenty was still very young- know her father? Her father who had died last year at forty-six years old. It didn't make any sense, but it was terrifying to think about. How could they have been connected...and more importantly, what did he know? What could Uchiha Sasuke possibly know about her father that would lead him to want to look out for her...

There was only one thing...

This thought brought on a whole new round of sobs from the pink haired girl, and Ino gave up on trying to console her, because she knew that it was not something she could do. And just as Ino was standing up, the door to the kitchen swung open, and Sakura went toppling to the ground and landed on her back, it was silly to lean against a door that opened inwardly. But Sakura didn't care, she just kept crying, and she shut her eyes tightly trying to lessen the flow of tears, and failing.

"What's going on." Sasuke said because for the second time today there was a hysterical girl sobbing in his home.

"Leave her alone." Ino said softly, "She can't talk right now...It's not a good time, to ask her anything. Just leave her be."

"No." Sasuke said, and he stepped over Sakura only to turn back around and crouch down so he was at her level. He reached forward and pulled her up by her arms so she was back in a sitting position instead of lying on her back. She made no move to resist him, but her eyes stayed shut and the tears continued to cascade down her cheeks.

Naruto just stared at the scene before him completely confused before he made another run to the bathroom down the hallway. When he returned nothing had changed except that Ino was now sitting on the arm of one of the big leather chairs with a sad expression on her face. Sasuke and Sakura were still on the ground. Naruto was oblivious to why the girl was so upset.

Sasuke however was not.

He knew that she had heard him tell Naruto that he knew her father, and he knew that it must be tearing her up inside to even hear mention of that man. He didn't think however, that she suspected he knew anything about the two of them. He also didn't think she had any clue about how he knew him, and on that he was correct.

"Sakura." He said softly, and the pink haired girl opened her eyes and looked at him, because she didn't think he'd ever used her name before. He smirked when she opened her eyes, not showing any hint of relief that finally he could see her eyes again- because Sasuke didn't think things like that, it was unheard of. "Listen to me." He said as he reached forward and removed her hands from her mouth gently. She again made no move to pull away, and Sasuke made no move to release her hands after he had drawn them down from her face. Instead, he kept them cradled in both of his something that went unnoticed by only him.

"Sasuke- I-" She choked on her words as she tried to speak. He just shook his head, sending his bangs flying every which way. He made no move to brush them back, because it would have meant he would have to let go of the broken girls hands...not that he'd admit that to save his own life.

"Listen." He said, "Pull yourself together. Can you do that?"

"I-" She decided against talking and just nodded her head.

Sasuke stood and pulled her up along with him. He had forgotten until she let out a small whimper, that he ankle had been hurt. And he cursed at what he was about to do, but knew he had to do it nonetheless. He turned back to Sakura and locked eyes with her, searching for any signs of apprehension, but all he found within the green depths was trust; and it was unnerving. He swung her up into his arms, and she readily wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in the base of his shoulder.

Naruto and Ino were staring in awe at the affection being displayed by the Uchiha heir, to say they were stunned was an understatement.

Sasuke ignored the looks he was receiving from the blonde haired blue eyed duo and made his way through the living room and up the stairs in the hallway. This was a conversation that was meant to be had in private, if it was ever meant to be had at all. When he reached the top of the stairs he made his way through another living room, and another hallway before pushing his bedroom door open with his foot lightly.

Sakura didn't look up from his shoulder until she felt herself being set down on a bed. And when she unwound her arms from the Uchiha's neck, she found herself in a huge room with gray walls and black trim. The bed she was on had a black wrought iron frame, and was much bigger than her own bed at home. The comforter was gray, the pillows were black, the carpet was black. The couches on the other side of the room were suede, and gray. The curtains were black, there were no pictures on the walls...the room was all black and gray with no hints of color at all, it was dreary and reminded her of rain. The room...was so Sasuke.

"Sakura." He said as he took a seat next to her on the large bed, "I know you heard what I said to Naruto."

Immediately the Pink haired girl looked down at her hands, to embarrassed to look at the man next to her. She was filled with shame that he knew who her father had been, and more so that he may know what he'd done.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of." He said, as if he could read her thoughts. "Sakura, listen. You didn't do anything."

"Exactly." She said just above a whisper, "I didn't do anything."

"It's not your fault." Sasuke said, and his voice was firm and reassuring and just what Sakura needed to hear. But even still she couldn't believe that what he was saying was right.

"You don't understand." She said, "My father was a drug addict and he died."

"I know." Sasuke said nodding his head.

"You know?" Sakura asked him, her voice dripping with animosity.

"Yes." Sasuke said, and now he knew that she wasn't just referring to drugs anymore. She knew that he knew, and she would hate him for it.

"What do you know?" She said, and the angry tone had vanished from her voice, she spoke meekly not daring to meet his gaze.

.

.

.

"Ino?" Naruto said taking a seat next to the girl on the arm of one of the two leather recliners in the living room downstairs. The girl turned her head to him to show that he had her attention, but made no move to speak. She was clearly upset for her friend and no doubt stewing in the fact that there wasn't a single thing she could do to help her, unless she could rewrite the past. And unfortunately she was not capable of that.

"Ino," Naruto said again, "I'm not going to ask you what's going on with Sakura. Because if she had ever wanted me to know, she would have told me. It's none of my business."

"That's nice of you." Ino said, and her usually cheery voice was tired as she spoke, "But Sakura never wanted anyone to know. She didn't even tell me until after he died." She was staring through the wall that separated them from the kitchen and staring through the kitchen straight into the past. Her expression became strongly reminiscent as she began to speak again, "I just kept asking her what was the matter with her Naruto...I just didn't understand what she was going through."

Naruto had no idea what Ino was talking about, but it was in his nature to try and comfort anyone who was feeling down, so he wrapped an arm around her in an attempt to drag her out of the flashback and back into reality. He then realized that reality may not be much better at the moment. Because right now Ino's reality consisted of her best friend in an immense amount of emotion pain, and her herself wondering if she had contracted the AIDS virus from one night of drunken stupidity.

Ino didn't flinch when Naruto hugged her, even though it immediately reminded her of the fact that she had slept with him. She was thankful for the memory, because it drug her out of the one she had been reliving previously, and that was a memory she never wanted to revisit again. She absentmindedly wondered if Naruto was aware that it was her he had slept with last night and not some random girl with AIDS.

"We slept together." She said bluntly. To say that hearing those words caught Naruto off guard was the understatement of the year. The blonde boy literally fell backwards onto the chair awkwardly. He felt as if his head were spinning and he was going to vomit yet again, but he didn't. Because after the initial shock had worn off, the nausea was replaced with a feeling of relief. It had only been Ino, and she was clean! She was his friend, they were comfortable with one another, they had a connection! Thank God it hadn't been a random whore, he actually laughed out loud as he was overcome with the realization that he was going to be fine. Ino joined in on the laughter after a moment and the two of them stood up and hugged each other as tight as they could manage, as if it were able to convey just how grateful they were for the fact that they had slept with each other instead of some other people.

"How did you find out?" Naruto asked her when they sat back down, a large grin plastered on his face.

"Well." Ino said, "I was talking to Sakura...and um. She said that we slept together..."

"But how would she have known that?" Naruto asked her sheepishly, and Ino grimaced as she answered him.

"We were in the back...of Sasuke's car. They were in the front seat."

"Woah." Naruto said scratching the back of his head, "I wonder if Teme beat my ass for having sex in his car..."

"She didn't say that he did, so I don't think so." Ino said simply, "I mean, she would have mentioned that I'm sure."

"Yeah you're probably right." Naruto said, "It just doesn't make any sense, because not even Sasuke has sex in his car...he loves that thing."

Ino laughed at this and shook her head, "Maybe it's because you beat up Hiashi when he was chasing Sakura, so he decided to cut you a break, as a way to say thank you."

"I what?" Naruto said, disbelief clear in his tone yet again. Ino just stared at him as if to reiterate what she had just said, "Woah. I beat up Hiashi? That's awesome!"

"Sakura said it was pretty great." Ino lied, really Sakura hadn't given any details concerning the rating of the fight, but Ino knew that Naruto would get a kick out of hearing that it had been worth seeing, so she said it was great to make him feel better.

"Dammit!" He whined as he buried his face in his hands, "Why does all the really awesome stuff I do have to happen when I'm drunk? Then I can't remember any of it!"

Ino blushed at his comment. She didn't know if he had been referring to what had had happened between them or not, but the thought that maybe he had been was enough to bring out little butterflies in her stomach. The feeling confused her, and gave her a rush at the same time.

Was it possible that she harbored more than just a friendship type of feeling toward the blonde boy who stood before her?

"Ino?" Naruto asked tentatively, "You okay?"

"Yeah..." She said hesitantly, "I'm fine."

"You're lying." He said, "You're thinking about Sakura again."

"Yeah!" She said a little too quickly, "I uh, I am."

"Maybe it would help if you talked about it?" He asked her as he put an arm around her shoulder and led her over to the middle of the sectional. They sat down and Ino immediately wished she hadn't lied and said she had been thinking about Sakura when she had really been thinking about the fact that she might actually have a crush on Uzumaki Naruto. But once he asked her if talking would help, she was thrust back into the painful memory. And she thought that maybe just maybe, Naruto could help her feel better about it. Even though it wasn't really her story to tell.

"Yeah." She said after deliberating for a moment, "I think it might help. If I y'know, told someone about it."

"Then I'm all ears." Naruto said, and Ino knew it was true. He would listen to everything that she was going to say, and he would not only listen he would care.

"I just didn't know." The blonde said, "I didn't understand why she was acting like such a...such a freak." She paused for a moment and then immediately corrected herself, "I mean at the time I thought that she was being a freak. I mean, of course she wasn't actually... She was completely justified I guess."

"It's okay Ino." Naruto said comfortingly, "I know that you love Sakura and that you would never do anything to hurt her. Just tell the story, I'm not going to judge you for the way you felt at the time, or even the way that you feel now."

Ino decided right then that Naruto was easily the nicest person she had ever met in her life, and that there was no way she would ever come across anyone else who so completely kind and accepting. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered a little extra at the thought, but she ignored them and continued telling the story.

"It was a year ago and I heard form the teacher that Sakura was not going to be in school that day. I asked if she was sick, because surely she would have called if that had been the case, and the teacher just shook his head and said that unfortunately that wasn't the case. I got worried and I pestered him until he told me that her Father had died the night before, he wouldn't tell me what he died from though. I freaked out of course and I ran to Sakura's house as fast as I could."

Ino took a deep breath as she continued to relive the day she wished so badly to forget.

"Sakura was outside on her porch swing. She was smiling, and she was humming to herself happily while she cried." Ino shook her head confusion clear on her face just as it had been that day, she kept on speaking, "I didn't understand, but I figured she was just distraught about what had happened, I mean her dad was freakin' dead."

Naruto nodded in understanding as Ino went on.

"I rushed up to her and I hugged her. She returned the hug immediately, and then I felt her shaking. I ran my hands through her hair, trying to comfort any way I could. Only, then I realized that she wasn't shaking from crying, she was shaking with laughter. And I'm not gonna lie, I thought to myself, 'Oh my God. She killed him'."

"She didn't did she?" Naruto asked subconsciously rubbing the back of his neck and grinning sheepishly.

"No." Ino said darkly, "She didn't kill him."

"That's a relief." Naruto said, and Ino made no response, she simply continued where she had left off.

"Anyway, I pulled away form her and looked at her face, and sure enough she looked elated. So I kinda freaked out and I grabbed her by the arm and I drug her into the house and into the kitchen. And we sat down at the table and I asked her what the hell was going on..."

** Flashback**

They were seated at the small wooden table in Sakura's sparkling kitchen. The floor was pearly white and matched the beautiful counter tops to a tea. Ino had never seen the kitchen look any less than perfect, it was always so warm an inviting. The windows were covered in white curtains that were adorned with bright yellow sunflowers, matching the bright yellow cabinets flawlessly. But right now, Ino felt less than welcome in the bright kitchen. It felt ominous.

"Sakura what the hell is the going on?" Ino yelled slamming her fist down on the table in front of her best friend.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, a smile still clear on her beautiful face. Her green eyes were wide as Ino slammed her hands down yet again.

"Why are you acting like this?" Ino's blue eyes were concerned and angry, but Sakura couldn't make herself care about anything other than the fact that her father had died.

"My father died last night." She said matter-o-factly.

"So you're happy?" Ino said, disgust clear in her tone. This was not the Sakura she knew, this was not the girl who wanted to save everyone. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing." Sakura said, and the happy tone had vanished from her voice.

"Bullshit!" Ino said, "You're fucking happy that you're father died Sakura. And that's scary! That's not the girl I know!"

Sakura visibly flinched at the last statement made by her best friend, but Ino didn't stop talking she was on a roll.

"What happened to the girl that wanted to save lives? Not relish in the fact that they're gone! You were the kindest most loving person Sakura! What the hell-"

"I still am!" Sakura said as she stood up from the table, tears streaming down her pale face, "I still am all of those things! I'm still the same person!"

"Yeah well I don't believe you." Ino said crossing her arms over her chest, "Because the girl I know wouldn't have acted this way."

"Oh yes she would have!" Sakura challenged, "You just didn't know it, because you didn't actually know everything about her! You could never understand! Not ever!"

"Did you kill him?" Ino asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes on the ground. She heard Sakura gasp.

"No." She said numbly, "No I didn't. But you know what-"

Ino hadn't been expecting what came next.

Sakura walked up to the blonde girl and leaned in so her lips were at her ear. She laughed bitterly, before whispering;

"I wish that I had."

'Smack'

Ino looked at Sakura in horror, then down at her own hand with the same expression on her face, she shook her head wanting to take back what she'd done, but knowing that she couldn't. She reached out for the pink haired girl who was staring back at her with an expression that was both stunned and pained. But she let Ino envelope her in a hug regardless.

"I'm so sorry." The blue eyed girl whispered, "I'm so sorry Sakura."

"You just don't understand." The pinkette whispered back, "Ino I never told you...I never told you what he did."

"Oh Sakura no..." Ino said, because she realized now just what was going on, she realized now just why Sakura had been so happy, and she felt like the worst person on the planet for attacking Sakura the way she had. She was supposed to be her best friend, she was supposed to take care of her.

"Ino..." Sakura said, and immediately she broke out into hysterical sobs.

** End Flashback**

Ino was wrapped in Naruto's arms with tears streaming down her cheeks for what felt like the millionth time that day. Naruto was rubbing her back soothingly.

"Ino." The blonde boy said comfortingly, "You just didn't know, it's okay. How did she tell you...what did she say?"

"All she said, was Ino- you don't know what he did to me."

.

.

.

Even though Sakura knew what his response would be, she still wasn't prepared to hear it...

"I know what he did to you."


	7. Always looking out

Sasuke for once did not look uninterested or angry, he looked completely repentant and Sakura could see the pleading in his eyes, though what he was pleading for she didn't know.

She didn't know what to say, she didn't know how she should react or where she should look, so she settled for looking at the ground. She hadn't realized that she had been sobbing until she felt two strong arms wrap around her.

It was unlike Sasuke to be comforting, and it was unlike Sakura to be so rude when someone was trying to be nice to her, but she couldn't stay cradled in his arms; not when he knew she was tainted. So she forcefully pushed herself out of his grasp and stood up on shaky knees.

"I want you to take me home now." She said dully, Sasuke's eyes widened just a bit at the tone of her voice, she sounded like she had given up. She didn't hold even a spark of the fire that had lead her to keep running into him the past two days, currently all that was left of that fire was ash.

"Sakura-" He said disguising any hint of concern that may have lingered in his voice. He ran a hand through his hair, as he so frequently did when he was thinking and he looked at the pinkette who stood before him. She was rumpled.

Her hair was a mess, hanging in long pink tangles just past her breasts, which were more exposed than usual due to the see through shirt and the fact that she had slept in it the night before, leaving it wrinkled and out of place. Her skirt too, was wrinkled at a little higher on her body than it had been the night before, revealing more of her legs than Sasuke wanted to see...at the moment.

"No." She said holding her small hand out to him in motion for him to stop what he was going to say before he even started, "I need to go home."

She refused to make eye contact- refused to even look at him. She couldn't bare to look into the black depths of his eyes, into the eyes that knew far too much, and not just about her- about everything. Suddenly, Sakura found herself battling demons that she thought she'd buried a long time ago.

Sasuke knew too much about the world, and she was afraid of the world. She was afraid of death, pain, shame, sickness, poverty, guilt, everything. Sakura thought she had relinquished her fears, thought that she had grown into someone who was mature. But most importantly she thought she had been fixed, and Sasuke had just shown in her a few words that she was still heavily broken.

Sasuke stood up and made a move to step closer to the pink haired girl with hot tears cascading down her cheeks, and when he placed a finger under her chin so he could look at her face and assess the damage he had done- well, not that he himself had done the actual damage- he was able to look at her for a split second before she stumbled backwards out of his reach.

Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and all Sasuke could read on her face was shame. He made no move to let her know that it wasn't her fault, or that he was sorry it had happened.

Sakura met his eyes for less than a second before she turned and ran- as Naruto had done earlier she sped her way through the pristine home not caring if she clumsily knocked into anything. She ignored the pain in her ankle, and she ran quickly; fueled by adrenaline, the pain was almost non existent.

When she passed Naruto and Ino she could see that Naruto was holding the blonde girl close, and that she had been crying, but Sakura didn't take any time to wonder what had happened or what was going on between the two. She had one goal in mind, and that was to get the hell out of Uchiha Sasuke's house.

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Sasuke did not follow the pink haired girl down the stairs instantly. Instead he waited and thought about just what he had done, in his defense she had asked him what he knew...wasn't it the right thing to do to tell her?

Of course, there were so many other things he knew about her father; things he could have mentioned instead. But no, he chose to pick out without a doubt the most horrific one, again though, in his defense, it was the one he remembered the most clearly.

Sasuke had seen Sakura around school, she had been a freshman during his junior year, they had been seated next to each other in the elective course that Sasuke had been forced into choosing.

Well, technically he hadn't even chosen it, he had just agreed to take it since there were no other open slots, and apparently one was not permitted to take weight lifting twice in a day. He had told the counselors he didn't care if he didn't receive any credit as long as he was enrolled- they still said no, and thus Sasuke Uchiha was stuck in cooking class.

Sakura was only fourteen years old at the time, and he pink hair was cropped in a very mature looking bob. She didn't wear makeup and she hid herself in behind bulky sweatshirts. Sasuke had immediately been expecting an annoying squeal or some sort of unwanted physical contact when he came to sat next to the small girl. But she avoided his eyes completely, and she moved herself a bit further in her chair when he took his seat.

They never talked. They never even said hello. But that day, when she hadn't mobbed him like a stereotypical bimbo, Sasuke had gained just a little bit of respect for the girl. Just a little.

The next year was Sasuke's first year as a senior, he didn't have any of his credits, because he didn't bother showing up to class. School- was not something he thought to be of very much importance, because as far as Sasuke could tell he already had his future laid out.

He saw Sakura every day this year. Because she was always late to school- and he was usually smoking in his car. Her hair had grown out and fell to her shoulders, in little pink waves that reminded him of bubblegum. He had loved bubblegum when he was younger, but that didn't mean he even liked her. Because he didn't.

Sometimes when he would pass her in the hallways and she was at her locker or talking to her blonde friend and the red head Karin- that literally made him want to cut someone open- he would notice the two girls squeal and scream out their affections for him, while Sakura would just roll her eyes and shaker her head.

He heard one day, while he was setting up a meeting with some of the guys at school, that Sakura Haruno was an honors student with a difficult home life. He didn't care at all. But he then heard Karin ranting to one of her friends, about how she hated Sakura- because how dare anyone think they were too good for Sasuke Uchiha.

He had gained just a little bit of respect for her that day as well. Because for once there was a girl that seemed to have a head on her shoulders, and the thought was refreshing. Though he didn't dwell on the thought at all, because someone who was refreshing like Haruno Sakura seemed to be deserved to stay refreshing, and not fall into the rest of the crowd.

Sasuke's second time doing senior year Sakura was a junior, and they were in the same health class. He didn't speak to her, and he didn't sit by her. He didn't even glance her way- because in all honesty he was not interested in the girl, he just didn't want to strangle her. But during the portion of the class in which the teacher would show videos of malnourished children, or people inflicted with diseases Sasuke noticed a lot of girls leaving the room because they couldn't handle the grief.

Sakura never left, on occasion she broke down into tears because her heart went out to them- but she never left. Sasuke decided then that she was a frail girl with a strong will to help whomever she could however she was able.

And when she gave her final presentation the last day of the semester, Sasuke's suspicions were confirmed. She wanted to be a doctor so she could save lives and help people to be well, she had said she would especially love to work in a hospital funded purely by donations- that way the focus was on the patients and not the money.

Sasuke never showed any kind of approval towards anyone. He never gave anyone any praise. But that day Sasuke had been left speechless- not that he spoke often anyway- and he clapped after her presentation. Shortly after he had left the room, and never returned to health class again.

It was during Sakura's junior year that Sasuke ran into her father. He had been dealing with the man for almost two years, but had never paid any attention to who he was or what he talked about. Until that night. It was Wednesday, and Sasuke had just pulled into the vacant alley way. There was a group of men standing around talking, waiting for him. Because he had what they wanted.

Sasuke kept his gun securely in the waistband of his pants, just in case any of the drug addict men tried anything funny. If there was anything he had learned being a drug dealer, it was that addicts would turn on you in a second, no matter how long you'd been supplying them.

Sakura's father had red hair and red eyes, he was heavy set and from what Sasuke could recall his name was Yoshi. He looked at the men around them, all anticipating when Sasuke would pull the goods out from behind his back and refill their empty supplies.

Heroin was a powerful drug.

Sasuke had seen it lie to men.

Had seen it cheat on women.

Had seen it deteriorate it's users.

Had seen it kill.

But he had never even heard of it causing the rape of someone so young and innocent- of someone so completely good.

Until he heard Yoshi Haruno began to speak of his own daughter.

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Sasuke shook the thoughts from his head, he couldn't afford to think of any of that right now. What had happened with Yoshi that night was not an issue he could dwell on, and was a subject he preferred he'd never have to tell Sakura about.

He didn't want her to hurt anymore. But he knew that if he could take back what he had done, he wouldn't.

He grabbed a shirt and threw it on quickly before taking off down the stairs. As he came to the bottom and entered the living room he saw exactly what Sakura had, which was Naruto holding Ino in his arms trying to console her about something he didn't care to know.

Through the door that connected the living room to the garage, Sasuke heard the roar of an engine. It was eerily familiar and when he glanced at his key ring, he noticed that his keys were missing.

Was she planning some sort of joy ride? What an idiot! If he remembered correctly she couldn't even tell him how to get back to her house from the party, there was no way she'd find her way to anywhere but a ditch if she set out from here now.

He swung the garage door open full force, earning a hole in his wall from where the knob had met the white surface. He didn't even notice. His eyes were focused on Sakura, sitting in the front seat of his car with the windows down, engine running- and the garage door closed.

He acted on instinct, for before he knew it he had torn the keys from the ignition and opened the garage door. Unaware of how frantic his actions had seemed, and unaware of Sakura sobbing as he did so.

"Are you fucking stupid?" He screamed, as he grabbed her by her upper arms and pulled her to him, forcefully removing her from the vehicle She didn't answer, instead she settled for cowering in his chest and sobbing even more.

It was then that Ino burst into the garage, and she pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke, her blue eyes were wild and he mouth was turned down in a scowl. So she chose now to check on her friend?

"Let her go!" Ino squealed, moving to take a step toward the Uchiha- but being held back by Naruto.

"Excuse me?" Sasuke said, for he did not like being commanded.

"Let her go! You have no idea what she's been through! No idea at all!"

"Where were you when she bolted downstairs and fucking stole my keys?" He spat the blonde girl in the coldest voice he was capable of.

"What-" Ino began, because clearly she had not known Sakura had come down until she heard Sasuke yelling at her from the garage door way.

"Too busy with Naruto?" Sasuke sneered, and he saw that it hit a nerve because the golden haired girl visibly flinched.

"Sasuke." Naruto said, "That was over the line man-"

"Shut the fuck up." Sasuke said the anger beginning to spiral out of control, "She was in here trying to commit fucking suicide."

Ino face visibly paled, and Sasuke could see Naruto's knuckles turn white from where he was gripping the girls shoulders too tightly. He shook his head and scoffed as he put Sakura back into the vehicle and closed the door. She made no move to get out, and didn't bother saying a word to Naruto or Ino. Even though she knew her silence would hurt them- even though she knew she should protest what Sasuke was saying, because it wasn't true.

"And it would have been your fault if she'd succeeded." He said icily to both of the blonde haired blue eyed teens in front of them. He knew it would upset them both, because they both knew it was a true statement.

Sasuke got in on the other side and started the car, he locked the doors when he saw Naruto step out from behind Ino, and he rolled up the windows when the boy stepped into the garage.

He placed his hands on Sakura's window, his face was greatly ashamed. Sakura looked up and lost her resolve for silence upon seeing Naruto's face. She rolled her window down as Sasuke began to back out of the garage, and before he had left completely she called.

"I wasn't trying to die! I promise!" She could see the relief on both of her friends' faces, and when she did she felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Sasuke however didn't believe her. The scene fit the scenario too perfectly, and she had every right to want to die.

"You're lying." He said, and Sakura only shook her head in response. "Yes you are, you were trying to fucking off yourself."

"No!" Sakura said, as her small hands clenched into fists in her lap. "I wasn't trying to die Sasuke. I wasn't."

"Why not?" He said cuttingly, "It would make sense if you were."

Sakura smiled sadly, and Sasuke wished to convey that his words had not meant that it would be better if she did, or that there was no redemption for her- simply that he would understand if she wanted out.

"That's- not-"

"No." Sakura said, "It's okay. It's true that it would make sense. But that's not what I was trying to do."

She laughed lightly, and it was so fake that Sasuke felt his stomach lurch. She was wrong, she was so wrong. He gritted his teeth and pressed his foot onto the gas harder than necessary.

There was no way it would ever make sense if she hurt herself on purpose, just because someone else had. No way it could ever make sense if Sakura who wanted to help everyone, decided she would be better off dead. Nothing about it made sense, and the thoughts had Sasuke's head spinning so much so that he pulled over to the side of the road in order to clear his thoughts.

Sakura only looked at him in confusion as he leaned his head back and covered his eyes with both hands. She felt uncomfortable in his car, she felt uncomfortable anywhere near him now- when only yesterday he had given her endless comfort.

"Sakura. It wouldn't make sense because that's not who you are."

"You don't know who I am Sasuke." She whispered sadly, and the raven haired boy shook his head; because she was wrong. He knew who she was, she'd shown him clearly several times.

"Sakura." Sasuke said, as he pulled back onto the road and began driving no where in particular, "Do you remember your freshman year?"

"Yes." She said hesitantly, for the question was asked out of the blue and had taken her by surprise.

"Do you remember seventh hour?"

Sakura audibly gasped when he asked her that question. Yes she remembered, she had seen Sasuke for the first time that day. She had been taken aback by his looks- but she hadn't said anything, because Sakura was not into fawning over boys.

Boys made her uncomfortable. She then learned that he was Sasuke Uchiha- the boy that every single girl in the world seemed to be obsessed with, and she had made the decision to ignore his looks completely, because he to her, was just some arrogant asshole with a reputation he hadn't earned.

Only what Sakura didn't realize is that Sasuke had very much earned his reputation. He was not just feared by the guys at school because they suspected he was some sort of bad ass. He was feared by the guys at school because they'd seen him pull a gun on people, and they'd bought narcotics only thought to exist in movies, right out of his pocket.

"Yes." She said again, her voice just a little breathless, because why on Earth would Sasuke remember seventh hour?

"Do you remember your sophomore year?"

"Yes." Sakura said again, "But I don't remember you being there."

"I wasn't very often." He said, and his jaw was tight because Sasuke didn't know what he was going to say next- and he wasn't able to stop the words from coming out of his mouth, "But I saw you everyday."

"Sasuke-" Sakura said, and her green eyes were wide and disbelieving- because was this Sasuke Uchiha admitting that he had watched her? That maybe...she had captured his interest in that seventh hour cooking class almost four years ago?

"You..." He hesitated, not sure if he should go on, "You were late everyday. I was always in my car- I wasn't stalking you or anything."

"I didn't think you were..." She said, and she shook her head trying to fight off the tears that threatened to fall once again.

"Then...there was your junior year Sakura- and we got put into that health class."

"You only came first semester." Sakura said to herself absentmindedly.

Sasuke nodded.

"I remember your presentation. You stayed through all the videos that no one would watch-"

"If you shy away from reality nothing will ever change." Sakura said quietly, "If you ignore the sadness others are feeling then you can't ever help them."

"I thought...that you were brave."

Sakura stopped breathing, did the ever elusive and every mysterious way to good for the world- Sasuke Uchiha, just call her brave?

Yes. Yes he did.

"I'm not brave." Sakura said meekly, "You should know that I've never been brave!" She had balled her hands up into fists once again, and the tears were freshly streaming from her wide green eyes. She shut them tightly and shook her head. "I'm a coward! I was always a coward! Because I have always been so alone!"

She didn't even feel Sasuke pull over once again, she was too lost in her sobs to hear when he shut off the engine and got out of the car. And she was shaking so badly that she didn't even feel when he opened her door and pulled her out of the passenger seat and into his arms.

"You've never been alone." He said gently.

And the words brought Sakura out of her current state and back into reality. Back into the reality that here she was sobbing into Uchiha Sasuke's chest. Being held firmly, something most girls would kill for. She tried to protest what he had said, but he spoke again.

"I've always been looking out for you."


	8. The break

Sakura was not ready to let go of Sasuke in the moments that followed the confession that he had always been looking out for her. She was not ready for reality to drag her away from the beautiful scene that had unfolded between the two of them.

Because sure- she'd always had a secret crush on Sasuke. But it was small and easily pushed to the back of her mind.

But she had never pictured anything coming from it, she'd never even wanted anything to come from it. She just thought he was good looking.

And he was.

Sakura wasn't ready to open her eyes and face the harsh reality that Sasuke knew what had happened to her. That she had been violated since she was just young...She shook in Sasuke's grasp and she felt him tense.

Perhaps he had just come back to reality as well. And now he was faced with that fact that he had just told Sakura he'd been looking out for her, when no one else knew. And here he was, on the side of a poorly paved road, parked by some trees that had flowers adorning to green surface of the leaves and stems, holding Sakura to his chest.

She shook her head and dared a glance up at the face of they boy who had saved her numerous times in the last couple days. Much to her dismay, he was looking down on her- and they made eye contact that didn't just last a moment.

Held in each others gazes, they both seemed to lose themselves in the moment.

It was like the perfect scene that takes place in the middle of a sold out movie, the girls are tearing up from the anticipation and the boys are secretly thinking 'come on!' The wind blows lightly, sending several pink blossoms to break off of the branches of the trees overhead and swirl around the two people so enticed in one another that they don't even notice. And then all too soon it's over.

Sasuke's body was moving of it's own accord; at least that's what he would tell Sakura when he ran into her again. His hand raised from around her waist and moved to cup her cheek. He'd never realized just how small her face was, it fit perfectly in his hand and she sighed as she leaned into his touch.

When her green eyes opened again, she was face to face with Sasuke- and his breath was warm on her face. His eyes closed, and he leaned in to kiss her which sent her heart fluttering and raised the familiar pink tinge to cheeks. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact, but when his lips met hers- she pulled away.

All she could see behind her eyelids were red eyes, she felt herself try to pull away only to be brought closer to the chest of the man in front of her. And when she opened her eyes she sighed in relief, for she was not staring into two pools of blood, but into two starless night skies.

Sasuke looked at her with just a hint of concern before he released her and crossed his arms over his chest. Sakura looked at the ground and shook her head trying to diminish the thoughts that were plaguing her mind.

"Sasuke-" She said hesitantly after what seemed like a lifetime of silence had been spent beneath the trees. The raven haired boy looked nodded his head in her direction to show that she had his attention, and for a moment Sakura felt bad about pulling away.

There was no way she had bruised the Uchiha's ego, was there? She shook the thought and continued to speak in a hushed voice, as if trying not to let anyone over hear- although no one seemed to be around for miles.

"Sasuke, um...I have a question."

"What?" He asked, and his tone was bored, as it so frequently was when he spoke to not just her but anybody. There was no reason for the boredom in his tone to hurt her, but it did.

"How did you know him? What did he...tell you?" Her voice was on the brink of becoming hysterical, and she loathed the fact that she was not yet healed from the experience. Loathed so completely the way that she would breakdown whenever she thought of him.

"Sakura..." Sasuke said, as if wishing to forget she had asked him the question he hadn't wanted to have to answer. But he owed it to her, and he knew that. So he sighed before beginning to speak.

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Ino had cleaned herself up quite a bit and though she was not happy with her appearance unless she was covered in makeup and had her hair styled flamboyantly, she felt that it was good enough for a day of lounging around the house with Naruto. Who was still fighting a nasty hangover.

They were both upset over what had happened with Sakura, and they both felt utterly terrible about the fact that they hadn't noticed her bolt down the stairs and into the garage. Ino knew that Sakura hadn't been trying to kill herself, once she heard the girl swear it to Naruto.

Sakura was not a liar. She never had been, sometimes she kept secrets- but when she said something, Ino always knew that it was true. Naruto was convinced she hadn't been trying to escape living as well.

He felt that if Sakura had wanted to die, she would have made it happen a lot sooner and not have waited until she was only months away from graduation and moments from getting the scholarship to med school that she had always wanted.

On top of that all, Sakura was not a coward. And so both blondes were able to go about that day in a fairly happy way knowing that their friend was safe and not utterly miserable.

Although she was sad about what was going on, and the memories that no doubt were flooding her mind, they knew that Sakura was a trooper and that by the end of the day she would be happy again and that she might even be a little happier, if Sasuke came through.

Naruto wanted him to be with Sakura because it had been a long time since his friend had shown interest in anything other than money, drug deals and illegal street racing. Ino on the other hand wanted them to be together because she felt like a relationship no only proved that Sakura had been cured of her fear of men, but also that it would heal her even further- maybe completely.

The blondes sat down together in Sasuke's ridiculously large dining room, that Naruto had lead Ino to. It was located right off if the kitchen, concealed behind a large mahogany door. Ino felt like the house seemed too sectioned off for her liking, and she was surprised that there wasn't a large mahogany door that lead into the hallway, and another to the stairway.

Her personal preference was very open. And she laughed when she realized that she could use her taste in houses as a metaphor for the way she liked boys. With that thought in mind Ino realized that Sasuke would never have worked for her, because he was just like his house.

All the different depths of Sasuke were hidden behind doors. She would never be free to get close to him, and explore all the levels of who he was without the task of opening the heavy doors. Ino was not one who was up for such work.

Naruto...he was an open book- a house with no doors. Knowing Naruto would be just as easy as knowing herself; he was a lot less work, and let's face it a lot more Ino's type.

"Naruto?" Ino asked, as she sat at the large table across from the blue eyed boy who was eating his breakfast- ramen with a fried egg- like it was his last meal before he was going to be executed.

"Yeah?" He asked, his mouth so full of food that Ino thought for sure it burst or he would choke.

"Do you think that Sakura and Sasuke are okay?"

Naruto stopped eating for a moment and placed a finger to his chin, a classic Naruto pondering pose. After what seemed like way too much deliberation to Ino the blonde finally nodded and continued to shovel noodles into his mouth.

"Naruto...I'm really concerned for Sakura, she didn't look okay at all."

"You don't actually think she was trying to kill herself do you?" Naruto asked Ino shock plain on his features.

"No!" Ino said waving her hands and shaking her head vehemently, "I don't think that all. Sakura isn't like that- I just am...Well."

"What is it Ino?" Naruto asked, slightly alarmed. It was unusual for Ino to stumble over her words, she was far too confident to stutter or hesitate to speak her mind.

"Do you think...that Sasuke knew what happened to Sakura?"

"You mean the rape or the beating?"

"Naruto!" Ino said surprised, "She wasn't raped! She was molested- there's a difference. He never raped her...I don't know why he just never did."

"Really!" Naruto said happily, "I mean it's still bad Ino, don't get me wrong, it's just good that she didn't have to suffer that as well."

"I know..." Ino said looking at the table, "Believe me, she knows it too, because I'm sure it would have happened eventually but-."

"The sick old bastard died before he got the chance." Naruto interrupted, his face turned down in a scowl.

"Yeah..." Ino said, her voice and thoughts trailing off.

"Ino I didn't mean to make you upset, I really didn't." Naruto said when he noticed the distant expression on the usually bright girls face.

"I'm not upset Naruto." She sighed, "I just. I kinda have a favor to ask you?"

"Sure. Anything." Naruto said with his usual kind smile in place. The smile was contagious, and despite the weight on Ino's shoulders she couldn't help but feel a little brighter at seeing Naruto's grin.

"I need you to tell me what you know about Sasuke..."

"Ino-" Naruto was pale, a sight that was incredibly rare. He waved his hands dismissively and shook his head, "I can't do that- It's not my place Ino."

"Naruto, I need to know. For Sakura..."

"I, look Ino." Naruto began hesitantly, his blue eyes guarded and his loyalty to Sasuke screaming that he'd better not tell any secrets. But his eyes were also wide, and repentant because his loyalty to Sakura wanted to give Ino the information that would help her.

In the end his loyalty to Sasuke won, as it always did and he just shook his head at the blonde girl sitting before him with her arms crossed over chest.

"Sasuke is involved in some pretty crazy shit." He sighed, and then he smiled lightly- and it didn't reach his eyes the way it normally did. "That's all I can say and I'm sorry."

Ino understand fully and so she offered her own small smile in response to Naruto's. But all at once, everything came crashing down on her, and she realized she had failed to show the same kind of loyalty to Sakura.

She felt terrible, lost in her own remorse she had spilled Sakura's darkest secret to Naruto. She knew it was wrong and she knew that she shouldn't have done it- more importantly she knew she'd have to tell Sakura what she'd done.

"You're a really good friend Naruto." Ino said sadly, "I wish that I could be as good of a friend to Sakura as you are to Sasuke..." The blonde shook her head, causing the large bun on top of her head to bob back and forth.

"Ino! You're a great friend to Sakura. She absolutely needs you!" Naruto was staring at the blonde like she was some sort of idiot or alien.

"But I- I told-" she shook her head, not willing to repeat what she had done aloud.

"Oh." Naruto said, realizing that his refusal to speak about Sasuke must have made Ino feel guilty about gushing about Sakura earlier. "Ino that's different. What you told me about Sakura you told me out of concern for her."

"But-" She raised her head to look at him but he only motioned for her to wait.

"What I'm _not_ telling you about Sasuke, I'm doing out of concern for your safety. And my safety two considering he would kill me six times if I told!" He added the last part with a signature sheepish grin and a hand placed behind his head.

Ino felt better, but she knew she wouldn't feel all the way better until she told Sakura of her slip up. Sakura deserved to know who knew about her, and it worried Ino that if Sasuke knew, Sakura would feel overwhelmed at finding that Naruto now knew as well.

Because something so traumatizing wasn't something that you wanted everyone to find out about.

"Naruto?" Ino asked again, "You never answered my question...do you think that Sasuke knows about what happened to her?"

Naruto seemed to ponder the thought for a few moments. And then seemed to debate whether or not telling Ino what he really thought, was a good idea or a very bad one. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her and send her into another emotional breakdown- Sure Naruto was a sensitive guy... but he _was still _a guy. And they can only take so many meltdowns a day.

"Eh...Ino." Naruto started, and the blonde girl across the way was looking at him with expectant eyes. She already knew the answer to her own question. "Yes. I think that Sasuke probably knows. He just...has a way of knowing things that are important...and if he knew her father I'm guessing that it wasn't in a very good way...So chances are he knows about what happened to Sakura."

He sighed at the hurt look on Ino's face, but was pleased to see that she was ready for the answer, and therefor not breaking down into a fit of hysterical Ino sobs.

"I thought so." She said, and her voice sounded tired and worn; something so uncharacteristic of the usually bubbly girl. "I hope that she's okay."

"You know." Naruto said reassuringly, "I think she is Ino. I really do. Because I think Sasuke cares about her...and when Sasuke cares about someone he takes care of them. Like really takes care of them."

Ino sighed, she knew that maybe it was a little naive to just believe that Naruto was right. But the way he spoke so knowledgeably and positively confident, Ino yet again couldn't help but to feel reassured.

And yet again, she couldn't help but to think that she could use to Naruto Uzumaki always fixing her up and making her feel better. Because God knew that without him today would have been a hell of a lot more panicked.

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"Your father was a drug addict." Sasuke said quietly, "His drug of choice was heroin. But he frequently used other substances."

Sakura's face was a mask of shock and knowledge, because of course she knew these things about her father. He'd been that way ever since her mother had left him when she only seven. He used drugs in front of her and a couple times made her shoot him up because his hands weren't steady enough. But how did Sasuke know...

"Before you ask me how I know these things," Sasuke said when he saw the look on Sakura's face, "I want you to know something about me. I'm a bad person. Period. Ignore what you hear from Naruto who swears that I'm a good guy or something, I'm not. I am exactly what you would expect me to be Sakura, only worse."

The pinkette went to say something but Sasuke only shook his head. Sakura however didn't listen to his silent way of telling her not to talk yet.

"Sasuke." She said, and her voice was shaking despite the determination she felt with each word she spoke, "You're wrong. You've shown me in the past couple of days that you aren't all bad. You just aren't."

"You don't know Sakura." He said, and as he spoke there was just a hint of remorse lying within the words. "Your father. Yoshi."

"Don't." Sakura said and her voice sounded like it had come from a ghost. Her green eyes were averted to the floor, and when Sasuke looked down at her he could tell that she was shaking profusely. "Don't...say his name." The weakness in her voice now replaced the deadness found there earlier.

Sasuke took it upon himself to nudge her in the direction of the still opened passenger side door of his car. She slid in quietly and sat there very still while he closed the door and got in on the other side.

"I figured...you should sit down for this." He said, and he reclined his seat and leaned back, letting out a sigh and placing his hands behind his head. He looked perfectly at ease, eyes closed and face relaxed- but on the inside Sasuke was maybe just kind of freaking out.

Sakura braced herself for whatever was coming, braced herself to hear that Sasuke and her father were pals and they plotted what he would do to her together while they were high- she thought the worst thoughts that she could possibly think. That way she was prepared for whatever Sasuke was going to tell her. And when he started to speak again, Sakura was ready for what he said to her about her father, but not ready for what it meant about Sasuke himself.

"I deal drugs." He said flatly, "I have for a long time. He came to me and I supplied him with whatever he wanted for whatever he had."

"He spent everything we ever had on drugs." Sakura said slowly, "I had to get a job in order to pay rent and buy food..."

The reason that Sakura was always late to school, was not that she was lazy of scatter-brained or took hours to get ready in the mornings. It was because she always overslept due to the fact that right after school she would head off to work until around 3 in the morning, every day.

Her boss had always been kind to her. He gave her twelve hour shifts 5 days a week because he knew how badly she needed the money. He had always insisted that she take Friday and Saturday off, that way she was able to sleep in like a normal person does on the weekend-

"He bought from me several times a week..." Sasuke said, and guilt was now evident in his voice thanks to the new found information about Sakura having to get a job in order to eat. "Sakura I never knew that he was your father..."

"It wouldn't have changed anything if you had." She said dully.

He wanted to protest, to tell her that she was wrong and that it could have changed everything. That he wouldn't have sold to him as often- that he would have used his own money to buy her food so she didn't have to work...but he knew that it would be a lie. It wouldn't have changed a thing.

"Even if you had stopped selling to him- which you wouldn't have- he would have found someone else. He wouldn't have changed." Sakura's voice was aggravated, and Sasuke knew that she had a right to be upset. She had every right to hate his guts.

"Sakura..." He began, eyes still closed as he remained reclined in his seat. Passerby's (had there been any) would have thought he was taking a nap. Only now, his eyes were shut tightly and his brow was furrowed. Unlike before, he know looked discontent.

"Don't apologize to me." She said, and her tone was sharper than she'd intended, but she felt no remorse for that fact. Sasuke had been the man who had supplied her father with the drugs that sent him into rages. Emotionally, physically and sexually abusive rages.

"Sakura listen. I wasn't trying to fuck up your life-"

"Well you did!" She said loudly, and she turned to face him; the cowering little girl disappeared. Her green eyes were narrowed and her jaw was clenched. Behind the angry face there was a fire that was burning intensely and Sasuke guessed that it must be because she hated him.

And he understood completely. Because he hated himself.

"Do you have any idea how many people **you **are putting through what I went through?" She was screaming now- and when she eyed the Uchiha and saw that he closed his eyes again she boldly smacked two hands against his chest.

His eyes bolted open to meet the angry green orbs of Sakura. And though he was upset, he didn't show it, and kept his face in the ever present frown he was known for.

"Sit up and pay attention when we're talking about things so important." She said hotly, "I don't care if you don't give a damn what happened about me!" Her voice had risen from the deadly whisper into an angry scream once again, "Because I care! I have to live with it every single day! Not you!"

The raven haired boy sat up in his seat and turned to face Sakura, because she was right. This was something that couldn't be taken lightly, and he knew it. But she was wrong when she said he didn't care and wrong when she said he didn't have to live it- because he did.

"I don't want this to happen to anyone else!" She yelled, "I don't want anyone to go through what I had to go through **because of you**!"

Sasuke didn't not visibly flinch at her words because he knew that he deserved them and he knew that they were true. It was his fault- he had set up all the bad things that happened to the innocent beautiful girl that currently sat in his car. But it didn't change the fact that they stung, because he hadn't meant to hurt her...at all.

"Do you have any idea how many lives you've probably ruined Sasuke? Any idea at all?" She was shaking her head with a sad ghost of a smile adorning her full pink lips. Her voice was back down the deadly whisper...and Sasuke felt a twinge inside of him at the sight of her, looking utterly defeated...Because of him.

"No." Sakura he said to her just as hotly, though he knew that his anger was unjustified, "And quite frankly I don't give a fuck. Because it's not my problem what drugs make people do. It's their problem. It's their choice, their actions and their fucking consequences to deal with."

"You're heartless." She said quietly, and he could hear the pain in her voice so clearly for she hadn't even tried to conceal it.

"He didn't fucking rape you Sakura!" He said in a tone that was cruelly condescending, "So get the fuck over it."

Sakura had never been more shocked in her life, not when he hugged her, not when he saved her and not when he told her he'd always been looking out for her. She was twice as shocked as she'd ever been in her whole life; because against her better judgment, she had not been expecting Sasuke go for such a low blow.

"Fuck you Sasuke." She said bitterly, and he didn't miss the anguish in her tone that he was sure had been meant to sound much stronger. But Sakura just sounded like someone had just punched her in the stomach. In all honesty, what Sasuke had said was much worse than getting punched.

"I told you I was a bad person." He spat, "You didn't fucking believe me. And that's not my problem either."

He felt bad when she let out a small sob- in all honesty the second he had started to speak he felt bad. But Sasuke didn't exactly know how to deal with guilt- and so he channeled it into anger even though he knew it was wrong.

"I won't disregard what you say next time." Sakura said sadly, trying now to cover up the tears, "Only there won't be a next time Sasuke...because I never want to speak to you again."

"Tch." Was the only response she mustered out of him as he started the engine and took off speeding back toward the house.

Sakura's heart was breaking.

Sasuke's heart was broken.


	9. To get away from you

When they arrived at the house- after what seemed like endless hours of awkward silence and tension so thick they were both choking on it- Sakura didn't even get out of the car. So Sasuke left it running, parked by the side of the curb and went inside.

Within moments Ino ran outside and jumped into the backseat. Sakura could tell even from a distance that the blonde's face was worn from too much crying. When Ino leaned forward into the space between the two front seats Sakura sighed and pushed her backwards.

She crawled into the backseat and sat next to her best friend, because at the moment she needed Ino and didn't want to be anywhere near Sasuke. Unfortunately, for now, the backseat was as far away as she could get.

Naruto and Sasuke followed Ino out of the house shortly after. Sasuke looked beyond pissed off and Naruto looked beyond disappointed. Sakura didn't miss the look that he sent Ino- or that it seemed to convey he was sorry.

What he was sorry for she didn't know. But the look on Ino's face instantly fell even more grave than it had already been.

The ride was silent and awkward. The tension thick enough to choke on yet again. Sasuke was running hands through his hair left and right, and Naruto's lack of joking in attempt to lighten the mood told everyone what they needed to know.

Things between the four of them were not alright. And idly Sakura thought to herself that they never would be again.

The pinkette had never been more relieved to see Ino's sporty little car in her entire life. It looked to her like a tall glass of ice water might to look to a man who had been wandering the Sahara for a week. It currently symbolized life. Because dramatic as it may be- she felt that if she stayed in the car with Sasuke for even a second longer; she'd die.

The two girls got out of the car and closed their doors quietly. Solemn looks adorned each ones face. With a wave from Naruto they headed out to the little red car.

Sakura glanced back on impulse, and sure enough Sasuke was looking right back at her. She thought she may have imagined the way his eyes averted just a little, and how he raised his had for just a second to wave goodbye.

Something in Sakura broke just a little bit. Naruto had waved them off as well- but Naruto only meant see you later. Sasuke had waved goodbye...and it meant that exactly.

_'Goodbye' _Sakura thought as she raised her own hand sadly and offered a little wave in response.

The smirk that he offered in return to her sad smile was as dazzling as it was unbearable. She tore her eyes from his face and got into the passenger seat of Ino's convertible. She spared him one last glance as they drove by, and found that his eyes were full of the pain she'd sworn to fix earlier.

And it set her heart to breaking all over again.

.

.

.

.

The two girls drove in silence for the first part of the twenty minute drive back to Sakura's apartment. Neither wanting to speak for fear that the breakdowns would start up again, and neither up for the energy that things like that seemed to drain from them.

The second half began, and Ino let out an audible sigh that let Sakura know she had something to say. So the pinkette turned her attention from the trees and onto the blonde girl sitting beside her.

"What is it Ino?" She asked, and her tone was not disinterested but tired. Someone who knew her less may have mistaken the two.

"Sakura-" Ino began, and she had to fight the guilty tears that threatened to fall, "I told Naruto... what happened to you."

The blonde wished that she could close her eyes and wait for the impact of Sakura's cries to crash into her. But she was not able to do so without risking their lives in the process. Driving with your eyes closed was not a smart thing to do. Bu the impact she was expecting, never came.

"That's okay Ino." Was the only response evoked from the green eyed girl, and her voice didn't sound angry or hurt at all. Simply the same tired tone she'd been using before.

"Sakura-" Ino began again, "I just...it came out because I thought Sasuke knew and I just told him and I feel so bad about betraying you like that. It's not my story to tell."

"Sasuke does know." Sakura said slowly, "But...you didn't betray me Ino. You never have."

The blonde girl had nothing to say in response. She was beyond puzzled at the pain that had seeped into Sakura's voice and she shook her head lightly in hopes that she had just been imagining it. Because when Sakura was in pain Ino was in pain.

"Sakura...what happened exactly?"

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked slowly, cautiously.

"What happened with Sasuke...?" Ino clarified.

Ino knew that the outcome had not been a good one. She suspected as much when Sasuke had come storming into the house without Sakura. His eyes angry and his fists clenched tightly.

The onyx eyed man had simply motioned for Ino to get out- and she did as she was told and scrambled out the door. Leaving her blonde counterpart to face the wrath of Uchiha Sasuke all on his own.

The look on Naruto's face told Ino even more than Sasuke's demeanor had- things had not ended well with the raven and the pinkette, and Sakura was probably hurting.

"Nothing happened." Sakura said slowly, "He told me to get on with my life...or something like that..." Her voice trailed off as she remembered _exactly _what Sasuke had said to her. His eyes were cold, his stature was tense- she could literally feel the tension radiating off of him.

_'...get the fuck over it'_

"Sakura..." Ino said, the tone in he voice clearly portraying that she did not believe the words her friend had said. Ino knew Sakura like the back of her hand- and when Sakura told a lie, it was always a bad situation.

"I don't want to talk about it Ino..." Sakura sighed, "I just want to forget about this weekend. I want to go back to school, graduate and get out of here."

"I understand." Ino sighed, clearly disappointed that she was not getting the answers she wanted and in turn the tools she needed to help fix Sakura back up, but understanding that it was not her place- no matter how much she wished it was- to make Sakura tell her what happened if she wasn't comfortable with it.

"Thanks..." Sakura said, her voice still a shadow of what it usually was.

"I'm gonna go home Sakura, call me if you need anything okay?" The blonde said as she hugged her friend lightly and headed for the front door.

"You don't have to leave Ino-" Sakura began to protest- but the blonde shook her head lightly and tossed the emerald eyed girl a smile that assured her everything was fine.

"You need some time alone Sakura, and I think I might meet Naruto today or tomorrow, so I'll see you Monday, no worries. Just try to relax okay?"

"Okay Ino. Have a nice time."

When Ino left Sakura was left alone with her thoughts- all centered around one person. She was more than just upset by what Sasuke had said, in fact she felt completely torn up about it. He had kissed her, and then he had broken her down- and maybe she was crazy but she felt as though she had been 'hit and quit.'

Sasuke Uchiha had left many girls in shambles and broken many hearts in the time that Sakura had known about him. She'd heard girls crying in the locker room about how they'd lost their virginity to the stoic boy- and never even received a phone call afterward.

Sakura however, felt like they had connected in a way much different, and much more complicated. Because Sasuke knew things about her that almost no one did- and he'd saved her twice from guys that could have hurt her.

She recalled fondly the way she had felt when she saw him standing by his car at the gas station with Gaara hot on her heels. It was the exact same warm rush of relief that she felt when she stumbled into him as she stood to flee from Hiashi.

Begrudgingly Sakura admitted to herself that she had somehow managed to rely on Sasuke, which meant that she formed a bond with him whether he liked it or not. And unfortunately for Sakura, once she had a bond with someone, they were impossible to erase, because she only had bonds with people who were immensely important to her- extremely special.

Not to mention that he was the first guy to ever kiss her- because her father in a drug induced rage just did not count. Sasuke had kissed her...and even though she knew that he had kissed tons of other girls- countless amounts of times- she couldn't help but feel like the one he gave to her meant something different.

She stared up at her ceiling and sighed, because much to her disdain she realized that she had begun to forgive Sasuke...because she had fallen for him.

.

.

.

Ino drove faster than she had in a long time, and that was saying something being that the sapphire eyed girl was a renowned speed demon. There was a reason for her faster than normal acceleration as she shot down the highway, and that was the fact that she had a mission.

Sasuke Uchiha had done or said something that had Sakura in an emotional spiral, and Ino didn't like it one bit. She glanced down at the cell phone sitting in her center console and sighed- Naruto was calling her. Probably telling her that she had better be joking about the text message she had sent him.

**Uzumaki. I am going to ring the neck of your asshole friend.**

** Be there in a few. K? K :)**

** xoxoxo**

She laughed a little as she reached for her phone and put it to her ear.

"Hello?" She said, as she reached for the button that put her top up. It was impossible to talk on the phone with the top down- the wind was deafening.

"Ino!" Naruto's voice was panicked and annoyed at the same time, and Ino smirked to herself just a little.

"Yeah? What's up?" She said innocently, genuine curiosity clear in her tone. Karin always told her that she should be an actress.

"Don't." Naruto sighed, and Ino could just picture his face. Tired blue eyes made heavy with the thought of what was coming- his brow furrowed in concentration, trying to think of any way to avert the situation and throw the blonde girl off course.

"Don't what?" Ino asked, as she exited the highway and headed down the desolate road that lead to Sasuke's house. There was no throwing her off course. She would not be averted.

"Ino look-" Naruto said, "Sasuke isn't in the best way right now...he's a wreck and-"

"Sakura." Ino said firmly, "Is the one who is a wreck. I don't know what he did Naruto, but he is not getting away with it just because you want him too!"

"I'm not happy about what happened either Ino, I don't want him to just get off the hook for what he said- believe me!"

"Wait..." Ino said, disbelief in her voice, "You know what happened?"

"Yeah." Naruto said, and Ino heard the regret in his voice. She was jealous for a second that Sasuke gave Naruto more info than Sakura had given her, but thinking about the thought she had previous about being an actress- she decided Naruto would unknowingly spill the information she sought.

"Why did he say it Naruto?" She asked, and she let her voice sound maybe a little too pained, but Naruto didn't notice.

"Ino...He just-" He paused and she could see him run a hand through his spiky blonde hair, "Sasuke isn't good with emotions. He's either impassive or he's angry."

"But Naruto that doesn't make it right! Do you have any idea how she feels?" Ino felt like a goddess as she pulled up to the curb in front of the Uchiha's house.

She got out of her car and walked to the door.

"No Ino," Naruto said sadly, "I don't know how she feels...and neither does Sasuke and that's why he said what he said. He didn't mean it in a bad way-"

Ino felt more confused than she had at the beginning. Sasuke said something that hurt Sakura, because he was angry, something he hadn't meant in a bad way but was obviously pretty bad.

She sighed and knocked on the door. A few moments later it was opened up by Sasuke who looked beyond pissed off at her presence. Naruto appeared shortly after and Ino snapped the phone shut and slipped it into her small purse.

"Hi." She said plainly as she pushed past the Uchiha.

"Get her out of here." Sasuke said to Naruto, and it unnerved Ino for just a moment that his tone was so seething.

"Hold it!" She said regaining her confidence, and remembering Sakura's sad face.

"Why did you say it?"

"You don't even know what I said." Sasuke said clearly not fooled by her marvelous acting skills.

"Yes I do." Ino protested, and she crossed her arms over her chest and squared her jaw, ready to pull out all the stops in order to convince him.

"Then why haven't you tried to smack me yet?" He said, a smirk not present on his still angry face.

"Because- I-" Ino couldn't hide the shocked expression on her face, what the hell had he done? "You...Why did you-"

'Come on Ino! Pull out all the stops!'

"Why did you kiss her?" Ino sputtered, "Just why!"

The Uchiha merely raised a brow, still unconvinced but impressed that she had managed to guess that much correctly.

"You don't know that I did." He said, "Now get out."

"Not until you tell me why-" Ino demanded and the Uchiha's smirk disappeared as she poked him in the chest angrily.

"I told her to get the fuck over it. He didn't fuck her. He's dead. Now she can move on." Sasuke said cuttingly, and Ino was taken aback by the cruelty of his words.

"You...how could you say something like that?" Ino said and her voice was not as confident as it had once been.

"I just don't give a fuck." Sasuke sneered, and he turned to walk away. But as he reached the stairs he planted his fist into the wall. The hole left behind was impressive and Ino knew he must have broken something in his hand.

"Ino." Naruto said tiredly, "Sasuke just wants her to be better. And he feels guilty about giving her father the drugs...he just doesn't know how to convey that. He's not angry at you, or me, or Sakura. He's angry at himself."

"But Naruto..." Ino said, "That just..."

"It was low." Naruto said, "But that's just because that's how low he feels."

"So you think-"

"He cares about her Ino. I think he has for a long time- but he never expected to have to face those feelings."

"But how can you just assume that? They've never even talked to each other until this weekend..." Ino's face was a mask of disbelief and confusion.

"He did kiss her." Naruto said, and his tone was just a little hopeful as he spoke now. "And that means something Ino. Because Sasuke doesn't just kiss girls that he's not hooking up with- and he doesn't hug them ever. He's not the comforting type, but he comforted her as best he could before the self conviction ruined it."

"So you think..."

"I think that he cares. But I don't think it's enough." Naruto said, and his voice was sad again. "Sakura deserves better than that. She deserves something better than an emotional roller coaster that spends most of it's time down."

"You're right." Ino said, "She does deserve more than that. But I just... It just feels wrong to leave them like this."

"They aren't going to be left like this Ino." Naruto said, and his voice was sadder then it had been the whole entire conversation, "Sasuke is leaving Konoha in a few days."

"He can't just leave like that if he cares about her Naruto...I know that she cares about him too- I can see it in her face-"

"He says he has to go. He can get clean in Oto and restart his fathers corporation in a few years. Ultimately he'll be able to start a family. And put this all behind him."

"Naruto-"

"His mind can't be changed..." He sighed, and Ino thought she could see tears brimming in his bright eyes. But he blinked and they were gone.

"He's leaving you behind too, isn't he?" Ino asked as she placed a hand on the blonde boy's shoulder comfortingly. Naruto only nodded and Ino hugged him quickly before pulling away and smiling.

"I'm gonna fix this." She said, "Believe me."

.

.

.

When Monday rolled around, Sakura felt almost better. Mainly about the fact that she admitted her feelings to herself. Admitting them to Sasuke though would be another thing. Something she didn't think she'd be ready to do...ever.

She still didn't want to talk to him and she knew that she would stand firm to that until he made a move to speak to her first- if that happened- then her resolve would crumble very quickly.

The second Sakura arrived at the school she felt just the slightest flutter in her stomach, because surely Sasuke was parked somewhere sitting in his car- and then the flutter was replaced by a weight, because the thought of Sasuke immediately brought on the thought of the cutting words he had spoken to her previously.

She scoffed lightly, why did he have to be such an asshole? She wanted to give him a chance to redeem himself, but if there was one thing she knew about Sasuke- it was that he didn't seek redemption.

When she made her way up the stairs and went to open the doors, she found that they had been left propped open just a little. Enough that she could grab the edge and pull the door open easily. She smiled to herself- because that had only happened to her on a handful of occasions throughout the years. The office staff was usually more attentive to keeping the doors closed- but on occasion they would slip up, and Sakura had an easier morning because of it.

She checked in at the office and found Ino sitting there at the secretaries desk answering phone calls and responding to emails.

"Ino?" Sakura asked, her green eyes slightly puzzled, "Don't you have math this hour?"

The blonde looked up at Sakura and smiled as she nodded her head. Her usually flowing locks were tucked back securely in a high pony tail. She put up one finger in motion for Sakura to hold on while she finished the phone call. She hung up a moment later and turned her attention to Sakura.

"I see you've returned to your drab fashion style." Ino noted as she took in Sakura's long black gypsy skirt and simple white lace tank top. "Let me guess- you're wearing flip flops?" Ino grimaced at the thought and Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Wedges." Sakura lifted her skirt to show off a pair of size 5 wedges. They were black, open toed and had little bows on the tips.

"Those are cute." Ino said approvingly, "I commend you."

"Thanks." The pinkette said dryly, "That's what I was going for."

"Yeah. Yeah." Ino said waving her hands in the air in a typical Ino fashion. Just then the gray haired receptionist came into the office.

"Thank you for watching things while I was away Miss Yamanaka." She smiled kindly at the blonde who returned the gesture quickly as she exited all the tabs open on the computer screen.

The receptionist- Mrs. Kai- didn't notice Ino's suspicious actions, but Sakura was much more observant. Ino winked at the emerald eyed girl before scurrying out of the office.

"Good morning Mrs. Kai." Sakura said politely smiling as the woman took her seat at the desk Ino had been occupying.

"Hello there Sakura!" She replied enthusiastically, "How are you this morning?"

"Wonderful actually- you guys slipped up again and left the door propped open a little, so it wasn't as tough for me to get inside this morning!" Sakura said, cheery and bright.

"Oh- Honey." The elder woman's brows furrowed and she shook her head lightly, "I closed the door myself this morning... one of those delinquent boys must have left it open...that's a security risk you know."

"Oh..." Sakura felt a mild wave of panic sweep over her, "What if someone sneaked in?"

"I don't think anyone did..." The woman said thoughtfully, "Unless you saw anything suspicious?"

Sakura hadn't seen anything suspicious until a dark haired boy walked through the door and smirked at her. She felt knots in her stomach as her eyes locked with his.

"You look pretty today." He said, and there was a flirty edge to his voice that made Sakura just a little uneasy.

"Thanks...You too." She said dryly. And she absentmindedly played with her pony tail. It was cascading down her right shoulder in a silky wave of pink.

"Oh you're a clever one-"

"Hiashi." Mrs. Kai said sternly, "Do me a favor? Leave Sakura be."

"Mrs. Kai- we're only having a conversation, Sakura and I had a date the other night but it was cut short. Right Sakura?"

Something in the way he clenched his jaw and glared at her told her that if she didn't agree with him it would be bad, and so she nodded her head and smiled at Mrs. Kai. Hiashi smirked triumphantly and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Oh." Mrs. Kai said, "Well Sakura, if you see anything funny today due to our little security breech you let me know, okay?"

"Absolutely!" Sakura said eagerly, "I'll come see you later!"

"I'll be expecting you then." The woman said, looking only at Hiashi as she spoke. Clearly conveying that if he tried anything funny she'd find out about it.

The two of them left the office and Sakura felt nervous, he clearly remembered what happened at the party they had been too- so was he angry? She figured he wasn't there to apologize, the look on his face practically screamed revenge.

They made their way through the green carpeted hallways in silence, past several curious on lookers and a few tables that were scattered throughout the campus. Sakura almost cried in relief when she saw Ino walking toward them. Ino raised a brow and began to pick up her pace toward the pair.

"Don't say a word." Hiashi breathed in her ear, "Laugh like you're having a good time, or you'll fucking regret it."

Sakura did as she was told and giggled when Hiashi whispered in her ear. They paused when Ino reached them, Sakura's fake smile was still in place.

"What's going on?" Ino asked Hiashi accusingly, and the black haired boy smiled in response.

"Nothing gorgeous, just taking a walk with Sakura here. I was just apologizing." His lies sounded convincing, but Sakura saw as Ino read the worried expression on her face.

"Is that true Sakura?" Ino asked with a raised eyebrow, though she already clearly knew the answer.

"Yeah." Sakura said, "So I'll just talk to you later Ino."

"Oh..." Ino looked worried for just a fraction of a second, and then she calmed down and waved goodbye to the two of them.

"You're a good actress." Hiashi said as they began walking again, "That's good because you were in some deep shit if she took you away from me."

"Oh yeah?" Sakura said sarcastically, "That is just so frightening, I tell you."

"Listen here." He said, his grip tightening on her waist uncomfortably, "Don't fuck with me pinky, or you'll be sorry."

He lifted his shirt for just a moment- showing the butt of a gun in his belt line. Just like Sasuke. Sakura shuddered a little at the thought, she really was sick of the ghetto school she attended.

Hiashi led her out the back doors and into the courtyard where most kids went on their off hours or for lunch. It was a beautiful area, full of green grass and lot's of cherry blossom trees. Sakura spent most of her time in the library studying, so she was always impressed by the sight of the courtyard. It was much more beautiful than the dusty bookshelves.

Only she wasn't visiting it under beautiful circumstances. Hiashi was tugging her toward an area where she'd seen plenty of couples go for seclusion- Sakura did not want to be secluded. Her mind raced with ways to get out of it, but she came up with nothing. He had a gun for God's sake.

"Hey Sakura."

Hiashi froze mid-step and cursed under his breath. Sakura exhaled and smiled in spite of herself. She turned around eagerly and met the eyes of Sasuke.

"Hi." She said, and there was no hiding the grin on her face, Sasuke looked momentarily puzzled by her happy expression before he smirked.

"What's going on?" He asked suspiciously, and Sakura knew that she could say whatever she wanted now that Sasuke was here.

"Um...do you...do you have...?" She quickly pointed at the waist band of her skirt, and a made a mock gun with her fingers- hoping Hiashi didn't see.

Sasuke's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he nodded at her, and then narrowed when he looked at Hiashi.

"In that case." Sakura said, "Hiashi came in and threatened me, he made me lie to Ino about what was going on, oh he squeezed me really hard and it hurt, he showed me his gun it's in the waistband of his pants by the way, umm he told me I'd be sorry if I didn't go along with what he said and then tried to lure me into those trees over there."

"Seriously?" Sasuke said, "You threatened a small girl with a gun?"

Hiashi nodded and looked away.

"Yeah so the fuck what." He spat, arms crossed over his chest.

"You're a bitch." Sasuke said plainly, "That's what."

Hiashi just scoffed and looked away, arms still crossed looking sorely pathetic.

"Come on Sakura." Sasuke said tiredly, "Tsunadae told me to bring you back after you were found. Hiashi you too."

Hiashi visibly paled and shook his head in disbelief.

"There's no way you told on me man- no way! I've got way more shit on you! You go down I go down!"

"Whatever kid. I'm already down." The raven haired man replied, and he grabbed Hiashi by the back of the neck with a little more force then necessary to get him back for hurting Sakura, and lead him into the school and to the office.

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Ino gave her account, Mrs. Kai gave her's and Sakura and Sasuke gave theirs. Hiashi was expelled, and arrested for having a gun on school property.

"Uchiha." Tsunadae said after everyone else had been dismissed, "Hiashi tells me you've got a gun on you at all times as well."

"He lied" He said in a bored voice, "I don't."

"That's illegal." She said, "So I sure hope you don't."

"I know. I always abide by the laws Tsunadae." He said sarcastically, as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Shut up." The blonde woman said sharply, "Surrender your weapon."

"I can't. I don't have one."

"Thanks for bringing Sakura back, she's my niece you know. But I'm going to have to expell you as well due to all the suspicion I have toward you kid. I think you're dangerous."

"I am." He said plainly, "So keep her away from me."

"I'm not going to call the cops or anything, because I'm grateful that she wasn't hurt. But you can't come around here anymore, or the police will be involved, and that's not what I want to do. It's a big hassle. So go ahead and leave- I'll send Uzumaki with your stuff."

"Great." Sasuke said and he turned and left the office without another word.

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Sakura was waiting for him in the parking lot- and when he got out of the school he smirked at her.

"How did it go?" She asked meekly, because she wasn't sure if they were on good terms or not, despite the fact that he'd rescued her once again.

"They kicked me out." Sasuke said as he kept on walking. Sakura stood and followed him to his car.

"What are you going to do then?"

"I was leaving anyway."

"The school?" She asked, because she suspected he meant more than that.

"No. Konoha." He said bluntly, confirming her suspicions.

"Oh...why?" She asked after a minute, and she hoped she didn't sound as let down as she felt.

The raven haired boy looked at her and for a moment his resolve nearly faltered, but just for a moment. He scoffed at ran a hand through his hair.

"To get away from you."


	10. Thank you

Sakura stood shocked in the parking lot for only a second, until her anger got the best of her and she picked up a rock and threw it as hard as she could manage at the Uchiha's moving vehicle.

In all honesty she hadn't expected it to hit- she wasn't a very good aim, at least not most of the time. So when the rock flew directly into his back window and broke the glass, Sakura screamed out loud- because Oh dear God, she just busted out Sasuke's window.

He slammed on his breaks and got out of the vehicle. Sakura was thankful that she couldn't see his expression, because she would bet her soul that he was beyond angry.

She swallowed all the fear she felt and turned on her heel to walk back into the school. It wasn't her problem that his window was broken, he could deal with it.

"Get your ass over here!" He called, but Sakura only raised a hand in the air and flipped him off before continuing her descent into the school.

She was not expecting him to be waiting for her when the day was over. But there he was leaning against the railing by the stairs at the front entrance attracting attention from the girls like rotten cheese attracts maggots.

His eyes narrowed when he met her gaze, and she smiled at him and waved lightly. Still proud of herself, and still feeling confident in what she'd done. Not to mention slightly invincible for escaping unscathed.

"Hi." She said, and all the eyes of the girls turned on her.

"Sakura." He said plainly, "You owe me big."

Sakura laughed out loud at the words the raven haired boy said to her, because she of all people didn't owe him a thing. He'd ruined- well helped to ruin- her whole entire life.

"I don't owe you a damn thing." She said, "And if you think I do then you're a lunatic. I mean, I knew that people like you were crazy, but that's just beyond crazy."

The girls surrounding him had their jaws on the ground, how dare someone talk to Sasuke like that- who the hell did she think was?

"Pick your jaws up." She said, "He's just a person."

And with that she shoved through the crowd and headed to her car. Sasuke of course followed her, and she expected no less.

When she reached the small blue car she sighed and turned to face the stoic Uchiha. He had his arms crossed across his chest, wearing only a thin white t-shirt, his tattoo's were visible through the fabric.

"Why do you have so many tattoo's?" She asked absentmindedly as she fumbled around with her keys.

"I like them." Was the curt response she received, and she sighed lightly.

"That's nice." She unlocked her door and set her things on the passenger seat before heading over to the drivers side.

"Where do you think you're going?" He said, and his voice was deadly.

"Home." She said bluntly not phased by the anger radiating off of the Uchiha, "See ya."

"No." Sasuke said, and he grabbed her by the wrist so she wasn't able to leave. "You owe me for busting out my fucking window."

"Watch your language when you speak to a lady yeah?" She said trying to pry his hands off of her to no avail, "And consider the window payback for the fact that you're a heartless jerk that contributed to everything bad in my life."

Sasuke let go of her wrist and crossed his arms again. What Sakura said was true, but the Uchiha was far too stubborn to admit that he had done wrong. And far too stubborn to allow her to get away with breaking his car window.

"God would you just-" He began.

"Get over it? Let it go?" Sakura interrupted, "Sure Sasuke."

"Look about what I said-" He began again

"Save it." She said cuttingly, "Thanks for dealing with Hiashi today. Now if you'd kindly just go back to leaving me alone, that'd be peachy."

"But I've never left you alone." Sasuke said, and there was a smirk on his face and he snatched her wrist again.

"I beg your pardon." Sakura said, an eyebrow raised.

"I've taken care of you for a long time now."

"Shut up." She said, "You only made things harder! You're a BAD person."

"I know." Sasuke said, "But what I'm saying is true."

"You're full of lies. Full of tricks. You are deceitful and dangerous." She tugged her arm in yet another failed attempt to shake him loose.

"Stop trying to get away from me." He said in the usual bored tone he used. Sakura glared up at him and his face was unimpressed. "Let's go."

"Don't you try to take me anywhere!" She said loudly, "No! Let me go now."

"Calm down Sakura, I'm not going to hurt you."

"You already have. Now let me go seriously." She stomped on his foot, successfully freeing herself from his grasp.

"Dammit." Sasuke said, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Not half as much as what's wrong with you." She sneered.

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Ino had been suspicious the second she saw Sakura walking so closely with the boy Hiashi. Sakura had told her about the way he had acted toward the pinkette at the party they'd been to on Friday night, and aside from that he had a reputation.

When Sakura had thrown her the worried 'help me' eyes, Ino knew that her friend may be in trouble if she didn't report it. The only problem was that she didn't know what she was reporting.

So on her way to the office she ran into Naruto, and considered it the work of destiny that Sasuke was with him. He'd saved her from Hiashi once, there was no reason he wouldn't do it again-

So she'd explained the situation to Naruto was looked thoroughly pissed off about it, and she sneaked a glance at Sasuke who was wearing the same empty expression as always- for a moment she found herself lost in his beauty, but only for a moment.

Ino shook her head and told them about how panicked Sakura had been, and about the obvious lie she told to Ino. Sasuke had walked away then without a word, and though the blonde girl felt angry at the blatant uncaring attitude of the Uchiha, Naruto had a grin as wide as Texas on his face.

"He's gonna go find her." Naruto said through his grin, "He knows where they're going, and he's gonna go find her."

"Seriously?" Ino shook her head in disbelief, "He really is?"

Naruto nodded and nodded his head enthusiastically. He draped an arm around the blonde girls shoulders and drug her with him toward the office once again.

"We 'oughta tell Tsunadae." Naruto said. And Ino agreed, the principle was Sakura's aunt after all.

"Yeah, she'll take care of the situation for us."

"I'm sure Sasuke will take care of it just fine, but I want Hiashi expelled or something, he's really getting on my nerves."

Ino agreed.

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When the situation with Hiashi was cleared up, and he was indeed expelled Ino was eager to get the story from her pink haired friend. But Sakura had rushed outside to wait for Sasuke, and Ino had decided it was best to give them some space so they could get things sorted out.

Hence the reason Ino was just a bit confused when Sakura came storming into school with an annoyed expression on her face.

"What did he do?" Ino asked, immediately seeking the answers her brain was dying to know.

"He-" Sakura took a deep breath and then ran a hand down her low side pony tail, and Ino could tell she was trying to calm down. When she spoke again, her face was still gravely annoyed, but her voice was less flustered, "He's leaving."

"Oh-" Ino said, she wanted to sound shocked but she'd already known that Sasuke was planning on going to Oto. "Where?"

"I don't know." Sakura said, "I didn't care enough to ask."

"Well why is he leaving?" Ino asked her.

"Ha." The pinkette snorted and crossed her arms, "That one I can answer. His exact words to me were 'To get away from you.' So, I'm guessing, it's to get away from me."

Ino had shock all over her face. If Naruto was correct about Sasuke not knowing how to express his emotions then maybe just maybe he was leaving for Sakura's own good- or he was just an asshole. Both were high possibilities.

"What did you say Sak?"

"Tch." The emerald eyed girl gained a look of triumph in her eyes, and she smirked lightly, "I threw a rock at his car- and it busted out his back window."

Ino was dumbstruck. Sakura? Sakura who was so nice to every single living thing, the least violent person she'd ever met...Sakura...had busted someones car window?

"Hell yeah." Ino said after a minute, "Good for you!"

Sakura grinned in response and nodded her head, she was proud of what she'd done. Someone needed to put him in his place- and that's what she had done.

The blonde had a sparkle in her eye that only meant trouble but Sakura was oddly comforted by it and she snatched her best friends hands in her own and went into details like a typical high school girl.

Ino had never been more impressed with her pink haired best friend, and so she was suspicious when she saw Sasuke and Sakura talking in the parking lot after school. It wasn't like Sakura to forgive so quickly when she was being tough. And that's when Ino realized that they were fighting, so she did what any sensible girl would do, she observed from afar.

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"You might be right." Sasuke said, "Not half as much is wrong with you. But you're twice as stupid as I'll ever be."

"Excuse me!" Sakura's eyes were bright with rage, "Who the hell do you think you are talking to me like that? You've done your senior year like six times! I've got all honors! I'm walking in white at graduation, you aren't walking at all!"

"Tch. You think school is the only thing that has any weight in how smart you are? You've almost gotten yourself killed countless times in the past few days."

"All after I ran into you! Maybe you're just bad luck!"

"Doubtful."

"No, really. You're trying to have me killed, I'm sure of it now."

"I wouldn't have saved your life if I were."

Sakura shook her head and pushed her hair out of her face before looking up toward the sky and smiling lightly.

"I don't understand you Sasuke."

"You never will." He said slowly, "Not ever."

"Why are you leaving before you give me the chance to try...?" The words were barely a whisper, and the second they left the girls mouth she regretted it.

Sasuke was silent for a long time before he answered her question. And he knew that he'd stayed too long if she wanted to know him at all, and that he'd given away too much information. He couldn't risk revealing anything else to the fragile girl before him, for her sake he had to go.

"Because..." He said letting go of her wrist and stuffing his hands in his pockets. He raised his head and met her gaze, her eyes were watering just like he'd expected, but he didn't look away. "I owe you that much."

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Ino watched as her friend turned her head away from the raven haired boy that stood before her, she looked disappointed, but something in her expression was accepting- and Ino knew that Sasuke was indeed going to leave. She shook her head and sighed, not wanting to watch the person who could be good for Sakura walk away from her.

She turned around and decided she would find Naruto at football practice so they could come up with a plan once again. But right as she turned to seek him out, she bumped into none other than the blonde boy himself.

"Hey Ino! How's spying?" He said animatedly, smiling so big that his eyes were squinted and all of his teeth were showing.

"Naruto- How long have you been there?" The blonde girl asked, slightly shaken that she'd been so carelessly caught off guard.

"Umm-" He seemed to genuinely ponder for a moment, the grin leaving his face was replaced with a slight pout as he furrowed his brow in concentration. "Like a minute and 13 seconds."

Ino rolled her eyes when the grin reappeared on her friends tanned face.

"Naruto...Listen. Sasuke and Sakura...are meant to be. They just are."

The boy looked like he was the one who was now caught off guard, as his grin turned into a frown and both of his eyebrows rose to meet his hairline.

"Ino...are you on some sort of drugs?"

"No."

"Then alright. Let's get them together."

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"Have a nice life then Sasuke...I wish you the best." Sakura didn't bother trying to hide the sadness in her green eyes as she turned away from the man in front of her. She didn't want him to go, she felt like they had a bond, even though she knew the thought was crazy.

"Get out of this place as soon as you can." He said, and he smirked at her lightly before running a hand through his hair.

"We...I know that you know we have a bond Sasuke...You can feel it. We are connected, I'm not going to ask you how because I know you don't want to answer that..." She looked at the ground and smiled.

"Sakura," Sasuke said quietly, "Thank you."

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**Authors notes:**

**This one is considerably shorter than the others. I was having major writers block. I'm sure the next chapter will come to me much easier than this one did(:**


	11. Escape

This drug dealing, womanizing, tattooed, mess of a human had just thanked her- and she didn't know what for. It could have been for not pressing the fact that they were in some way bonded to one another but it could have been for agreeing to let him leave in peace as well. Sakura thought that maybe just maybe it was for being her- and secretly she hoped that she was right.

"I've done things that would break you Sakura." He said solemnly, "I have done things that have threatened to break me before."

Sakura raised a perfectly arched brow at the stoic man before her, the expression on her face mildly challenging. Sasuke could see in her expression that he wasn't dealing with fragile Sakura at the moment, he was dealing with strong Sakura; the one who had survived her Father's assaults and the one who had remained _human _afterwards, the very one who smiled every single day despite the things she had been through, and the very one who's lips he so desperately wanted to lean down and kiss.

Of course he banished the last part of his thought into the vault of all his banished thoughts, that existed somewhere deep within the confines of his brain.

"Sasuke," She said, her tone mildly amused with just a hint of a hard edge, "Are you insinuating that I'm too fragile to face the world that you come from?"

He spoke without a moment's hesitation, his tone was final and his expression was certain.

"Yes."

Green clashed with black and ever so slowly Sakura's lips turned upwards into a smile. She was amused, and Sasuke couldn't figure out why. He had done nothing pleasant, done nothing decent even and he was left baffled by the girls cheerful expression.

"You forget that I come from the very world that you yourself are speaking of. I am a product of that environment- I have seen things Sasuke, things that you have seen and probably done. I have done things that you would never believe I would do…Because I come from the same place as you do."

Sasuke was shocked at the girl's words, but he realized that she was correct in all the things that she had said. Sakura did come from the world in which he lived; she was the child of one of his most frequent customers. Not to mention that she had been through things that ought to have landed her ass in therapy.

He wasn't pleased with the realization that she was no stranger to his life style, but as he crossed his arms over his broad chest a smirk worked its way onto his handsome face, because he was pleased about one thing- and that was that maybe just maybe Sakura Haruno was tough enough to handle him after all.

"Wipe that smirk off of your pretty face Sasuke Uchiha!" Sakura said testily, "You need to start taking me seriously-"

"I do." He said quickly, because if there was one thing he had ever taken seriously, it was her. In fact, he was quite sure that he took her too seriously- his actions in the past had confirmed it.

"Sasuke-" She said, shock apparent in her tone. The pinkette sighed, exasperation clear on her face. She placed her small hands on her hips and closed her eyes before speaking again, this time in a much more controlled voice. "You obviously don't take me very seriously Sasuke, because if you did then we wouldn't be having this conversation. If you did, you would have told me years ago that you knew the kind of life I was living."

"'Hey, I know your father's a hardcore drug addict. What? What's that? How do I know? Ah." He paused and stroked his chin, "I'm his drug dealer!"

Sakura smiled despite the severity of the topic at hand, because Sasuke was acting out a skit- and it was out of character and adorable. Sasuke on the other hand had an eyebrow raised and waiting for her to admit that he was right.

"Okay, Okay." Sakura said giggling just a little, "I admit it sounds pretty terrible. I just don't understand why you wouldn't have told me Sasuke…"

Immediately Sasuke's ever famous guard snapped back into place, and he was wary of what he should and should not reveal to the beautiful girl in front of him.

"I just didn't." He said and his dark eyes flickered to hers momentarily, and he wasn't surprised to find that she didn't believe him at all.

"I know you're lying." She said simply and he smirked at her in response, because whether or not he would admit it, he was proud of her for being so perceptive. He banished the feeling of pride and leaned in quickly, placing a chaste kiss on Sakura's forehead.

"I'll see you later." He said, and with that he got into his own car and drove off, leaving Sakura standing there wondering if that was the last she would ever see of him.

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It wasn't until later when Sakura was sitting alone in her apartment that the reality of the fact that she may never see Sasuke again set in, and when it did she allowed herself to breakdown, and she did the only thing she could think to do-called Ino.

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Ino had tried to ask Sakura what had happened with Sasuke, but like she had been doing a lot lately, Sakura just shrugged her off and told her they could talk about it later. So, the blonde did what she had been doing a lot lately and went in search of Naruto- who may or may not have become the new object of her affections.

As Ino drove to Kiba's, which is where the two blondes had agreed to meet up and talk, she mused about how far the two of them had come. Ino had learned that despite Naruto's carefree attitude, he was more than able to take things seriously.

The way he cared about Sasuke and Sakura had left in her in awe on several occasions- one of which was the first time he ever snapped at her…back when she had asked him if Sasuke was in a gang.

The blonde's actions had proved to her just how loyal of a person he was, and Ino knew that because of that fact she could always trust him. And maybe just maybe, that's why she had begun to fall for the hyperactive guy.

When the blonde bombshell pulled up to Kiba's she found that her heart rate began to speed up- because there he was smiling like there was no tomorrow and waving at her animatedly.

She got out of her car and walked over to him (not that it didn't take all she had not to run) and gave him a hug. She relished in the feel of his arms around her waist…and for a moment she completely forgot that they were here on business.

"Have you talked to Sasuke?" She asked when she pulled herself back into present day.

Naruto nodded but his expression gave nothing away- and Ino knew it was a bad sign, because if it had gone well and he had agreed to stay then Naruto would be much more excited than he was at the moment.

Ino raised her brows in inquiry and the blonde boy in front of her sighed as she snatched her hand and led her inside the house and out to the backyard. One thing you could always count on at one of Kiba's parties was that if you needed a quiet place to go the backyard would be free.

As the pair found their way through the house and outside Ino's anticipation was building, as was her anxiety. For her, a world renowned drama queen, it seemed as though the very existence of her beloved best friend Sakura was hanging in the balance…and not tipping in the right direction either.

"Ino." Naruto said when they finally came to a stop against the side of Kiba's house, "I did talk to Sasuke, but as I'm sure you've guessed it didn't go well. Just like I said it wouldn't. He won't stay, he refuses to stay, and I can't change his mind."

"Is he really leaving to get away from Sakura?" Ino asked, her tone much less cheerful than usual. The girls whole attitude had deflated after hearing Naruto's words, even her bright red shirt seemed to have gotten duller.

"He wouldn't say." Naruto said, and Ino could tell from his tone that he wasn't happy about it at all, that he felt hurt by Sasuke's lack of explanation. "He just said he had to, and he told me to stop bothering him about it."

"It doesn't seem very Naruto of you to listen to him." Ino observed.

"You're right." Naruto said, and he laughed weakly, "But I can make you one promise that is very 'Naruto'."

"What's that?" She asked, and it seemed as though hope had returned to her bright blue eyes.

"I won't ever stop hounding him once he's gone, and I will never stop trying to get him to come back." Naruto said, and as he spoke the determination in his voice grew stronger.

"I believe that." Ino laughed, "I just wish he wasn't going, it's going to ruin Sakura."

"It's going to fucking save her."

"Sasuke!" Naruto said shock evident in his tone, "When the hell did you get here?"

Sasuke didn't answer his best friends question; instead he turned his dark gaze on the girl that he was with. He crossed his arms over his chest, and the white fabric of the t-shirt he was wearing strained against his muscles as he did so. Barely visible beneath the dim house lighting, Ino gulped at the glare being sent her way.

"You would be wise to keep out of my business." He said boredom lacing every word and somehow making them all far more threatening, "I know what I'm doing, and I know how to deal with people who need to be removed from my life. Sakura is one of them, and you don't even know half of the fucking story."

"I know that you knew her father! And that must mean you're involved in some pretty shady shit Uchiha, because he was one fucked up guy!" The blonde girl said defiantly.

Sasuke smirked and chuckled darkly as he ran a hand through his hair. Ino's eyes were no longer intimidated and instead blazed with irritation.

"I dealt his drugs." Sasuke said coldly, smirk still in place, "I didn't just give them to him every now and then, when he bought- he bought from me. Did you guess that? Or are you surprised?"

Naruto merely looked regretful, and Sasuke knew the second he had found out the two were involved that was the inference his friend had made. Ino on the other hand looked appalled, and not for the first time the blonde girl began to cry.

She wasn't sobbing, and she wasn't making a scene which was so very Un-Ino. Instead of her usual breakdowns, Ino simply lowered her head and let the tears stream silently. Naruto sighed and pulled the girl to him consolingly.

Ino raised her head from Naruto's chest and locked eyes with the Uchiha tears still streaming down her face.

"You…are responsible for every single bad thing that ever happened to her!" The blonde girl pointed at him accusingly and her crying eyes were suddenly full of fire, "You are the reason she was violated, and you are the reason she was beaten and had to work two jobs!" Ino was growing louder and closer to Sasuke with every word, until finally she jabbed her finger into his chest, "You are a monster." She sneered, and the words were the most menacing to ever leave her blood red lips.

Sasuke didn't back away from the girl like he usually would have, and he didn't deny any of the things that she was saying, he simply ran a hand through his hair and then removed her hand from his chest.

"Heroin was responsible for the things that happened to Sakura." He said stonily, "And I may be a monster- but at least I'm not doing everything in my power to get her to fall in love with me! You think I'm good for her? Do you think that you trying to get her to want me- is what's best for someone as damaged as she is?"

Ino was slightly taken aback, and slowly she shook her head as a small smile made its way onto her beautiful features.

"I think that what's best, is for her to be happy. And I think that you make her happy Sas-"

Ino was cut off by the loud ring of her phone, she thought about ignoring it but when she glanced down and saw that Sakura's picture was flashing on the screen she knew she had to take it.

"Hello?" She said, ignoring the look of annoyance from the Uchiha in front of her.

"Who the hell is so important…" Sasuke began, but Ino interrupted him.

"Sakura- listen to me please." Ino said her eyes locked on Sasuke's now attentive expression. "Everything is going to be fine, I know that you're worried….I don't know when he's leaving Sakura… You really think that today was the last time you're ever going to see him?"

Ino raised her brows at Sasuke and mouthed the words 'when are you leaving.'

The Uchiha sighed and mouthed back 'tomorrow.' Ino felt herself stiffen, but Naruto didn't respond to the words, meaning he must have already known.

"Naruto just told me he's leaving tomorrow Sakura….no, no please don't cry forehead girl, it's going to be okay…Wow! What did you just say? You WHAT him?"

And that's when Ino locked eyes with the man in front of her and hit her speakerphone button.

"Love him…" Came the sniffling voice of Sakura, and that's when Ino felt Naruto stiffen and Sasuke bolted.

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"Hold on Ino." Sakura said tears still streaming down her cheeks, "Someone is at the door."

The rosette walked over to her front door and opened it slowly to see who was on the other side so late at night. Didn't people stop visiting when it was after ten pm? As she opened the door Sakura fumbled over herself and dropped her phone, gasping loudly, and as it lay there on the ground she heard Ino's voice cackling through the receiver-

"That's who I thought it was!" She said, and then the line went dead.

"Sasuke…" Sakura said, slightly out of breath, "What are you doing here?"

But instead of answering the raven haired man just pushed his way into her house and crushed his lips to hers. Sakura was taken aback by his affection, but that certainly didn't mean she wasn't pleased. When Sasuke broke the kiss he pulled her against the thin white fabric that was covering his chest.

"You're such a good person." He said quietly, "And I refuse to corrupt you."

"Sasuke please…You won't corrupt me, you can't. Someone else already has." Sakura said in a thick voice..."

"I have to tell you something Sakura. I owe it to you to tell you why we have the connection that we do." Sasuke sighed and led her to sit down on the small couch in the living room.

"You don't have to tell me…" Sakura whispered in a small voice, despite the fact that she was dying to know. "I don't want you to tell me just because I pressured you-"

"You couldn't pressure me Sakura." Sasuke said with his signature smirk in place upon his face. "I am going to tell you because it's something you deserve to know. It's about your father."

Immediately Sakura felt as though someone had punched her in the stomach, she shook her head wildly; she didn't want to hear this anymore. She had changed her mind. Her eyes were wide with fear, because she had suspected this all along…had Sasuke only watched out for her due to pity? Due to what he knew of her father?

Suddenly two large hands were framing both sides of her small face, and she was forced to look into the onyx depths before her.

"You need to know this." He said, "You need to listen to me no matter how hard it is, do you understand?"

She nodded weakly, and tried her best to ignore the nauseous feeling inside her stomach. She took a few deep breaths and braced herself for what was to come.

"Your father never told me what he did to you." Sasuke began slowly, "I never knew he was your father. I knew who you were, and then one night awhile after I'd been dealing with him I heard him mention your name to one of the guys he was with, he was saying how excited he was to get his hit because it made things so much better, and he wanted to be high as hell when he finally went all the way with his Sakura…"

Sakura's eyes were wide and she felt like she might throw up from having to hear the disgusting words that her father had said. But Sasuke kept on speaking, and he kept his eyes locked on hers.

"I knew the name sounded familiar, I just didn't know why- and then one of the guys said something about always liking his daughters pink hair, and I knew it was you…And so, Sakura…I couldn't let him do something like that to you. I already respected you for having your head on straight, everything I told you about the classes we had together and thinking you were brave…

Sakura you were always so good, right down to the core…I couldn't let it happen…So I laced his drugs with a heavy amount of Exceytin xxx… and he was dead within in minute of injecting it."

Sasuke's face was grave as he spoke the words, and when he was finished he looked down at his lap. He waited for Sakura to speak, but she never did. Instead, she grabbed his hands and used them to tug him to her, and she kissed him as tears streamed down her face. Sasuke was shocked, but he kissed her back none the less.

"You saved me…" She said breathlessly as she placed her hands on either side of his face "You saved me once…and now I need to ask you to save me again Sasuke…"

The Uchiha's eyes widened a fraction and he found himself nodding his head slowly as he looked into Sakura's emerald orbs. They were so full of hope, and behind that they were wickedly determined.

"From what?" He whispered, as he gently removed her hands from his face and held them in each of his own.

"From myself." She said breathlessly.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, because he didn't know what she meant exactly, until she took his hand and placed it over her heart.

"I don't want to shudder at every mention of physical contact Sasuke…I don't want to think of my father every time someone has contact with me…I don't want to be haunted by thoughts of him anymore…"

Sasuke's eyes grew wide as she began to speak the last sentence.

"I want to be haunted by thoughts of you." She cast her gaze down toward the floor, until Sasuke placed a knuckle under her chin and gently made her look at him.

"I don't know if that's a good idea Sakura…You don't want it to be me…trust me."

"You're wrong." She said, "I want it to be you Sasuke…"

"I've been with a lot of girls Sakura…" He said, and she could tell that he wasn't proud of that fact.

"I'm not like them Sasuke." She said solemnly.

"I know Sakura…I just…"

"Sasuke, please, I don't want it to be him anymore… Stay with me just for tonight, let me escape this…"

Sasuke met her eyes and the hesitation that was reflected in them earlier was replaced with something she couldn't put her finger on. And then he leaned in and whispered in her ear-

"I can be your escape."


	12. The end of the beginning

Sakura watched from her window as Sasuke's car disappeared down the street. It was barely 10am and the sun was shining brightly through the apartment windows. If she had to make a guess, Sakura would've guessed that he was on his way to see Naruto before he headed out of the city for good.

She struggled for a minute to swallow the tears that threatened to fall at that thought, and after a moment she had composed herself enough to call Ino. After only one ring her best friends chipper voice greeted her on the other line.

"Ino, can you come get me? I want to talk to you about what happened…" Sakura didn't need to try to sound happy as she spoke to Ino, because memories of what had gone on flooded her mind- not only bringing a blush to her cheeks but a smile to her face.

Ino had hung up the phone right after and Sakura knew that she had fifteen minutes tops until the blonde girl pulled up to the curb in front of her apartment and zipped up the stairs for her answers.

And so instead of having to explain why her apartment was in its current state, and not willing to clean it up yet in order to preserve last night as long as she could, Sakura made her way into the bathroom and got herself ready.

Dressing in a simple white tank top and a maroon gypsy skirt that she knew Ino would loathe. She smiled to herself and she brushed her hair and made her way out of the apartment just in time to see Ino pull up to the curb. Sakura sighed in relief that she had made it outside in time.

Ino jumped out of her pretty red convertible and zoomed up to her pink haired friend in such a rush that Sakura was surprised she was able to stop herself from plowing into her. Not to mention surprised at the fact that Ino was able to run as fast as she did in the red pumps and tight black 'dress' she was wearing.

"How did you not twist an ankle just now?" Sakura asked her, her tone both amused and disapproving.

The blonde just scoffed as she hooked their arms and speedily lead them back toward the car from which she had sprung, and as she did so Sakura was thankful for the plain white flip flops on her feet.

"You seem to be in a good mood- does that mean he decided to stay?" Ino said as they took their seats.

"No." Sakura said, and by the way she spoke it was obvious that she had accepted the decision he made, but just as clear that she wasn't happy about it. "He's gone. He left this morning."

"This….morning?" Ino said, he words laced with thousands of innuendos. "Gave you one hell of a gift to remember him by, aye Sakura?"

"Ino!" The rosette's face flushed immediately much to the amusement of her best friend.

"That blush means I'm right." Ino said, "You just confirmed my suspicions. Although, now I'm a bit pissed that he would steal your oh so precious virginity and then walk out on you…" Ino pursed her lips as she thought about the current situation.

"It wasn't like that." Sakura whispered, "It was…really beautiful Ino…"

The blonde looked over to find her best friend in tears; she sighed and reached a hand over to pat her shoulder consolingly.

"You wanna talk about it Sakura?"

"It was…it was something I know I'll never forget." Sakura began, "He was so caring, and he just…held me when it hurt and kissed my forehead when I was crying." The pinkette blushed as she recalled the events of the night before, "He stayed with me after, and when we woke up this morning he pulled me over to him and kissed me, he told me he was sorry for everything and then he left…"

"And you just took it?" Ino said, "You just let him walk out? You didn't ask him to stay after that?"

"I asked him to stay plenty of times before that- and every time he said he couldn't. I wasn't about to ruin everything that had happened by begging him again- He wasn't gonna stay Ino, so I accepted it."

"Well you had no choice!" Ino yelled as she threw her hands up in exasperation, "This sucks Sakura. This just really sucks. What are you going to do now? You're finally better!"

"I wasn't broken Ino." Sakura said firmly.

"I didn't mean..."

"I know, I know." Sakura sighed cutting her off, "I just…Ino I know it sucks believe me. And you're right I don't have a choice, so guess what I'm gonna do? I'm going to continue on with my life as I planned. I'm going to graduate, and then in July I am going to medical school in Suna. Hopefully I can get the internship I want at the hospital there…and then, I'll become a doctor."

"I just want you to be happy." Ino said as they pulled up to the school and saw Naruto waiting for them in the parking lot. As usual he was grinning from ear to ear and waving at them enthusiastically.

.

.

.

Naruto raced over to the car as soon as it was parked and the smile on his face soon disappeared.

"S-Sakura?" He stuttered, his eyes wide with shock, "Is that…Is that a hickey on your neck?"

Ino's eyes widened to four times their original size, and she spun away from Naruto and toward Sakura so fast that they were sure she'd have whiplash. She grabbed Sakura's hair and pushed it all back so she could clearly see her neck- and sure enough there was a purple bruise that couldn't be anything but a hickey. "I didn't even notice that!" Ino squealed, "How didn't I notice that?!"

Ino was laughing when she turned away from the now blushing pinkette beside her, but her smile fell when she took in the expression on Naruto's face.

"Sakura." Naruto said, and his voice was menacing, "Why do you…tch." He scoffed and shook his head, "I don't even need to ask. I can't believe that bastard seduced you before he fucking took off!"

Naruto's hands were balled into fists, and he began to pace back and forth in front of the small red car.

"Naruto-" Sakura began, but he put a hand up and shook his head.

"Don't defend him Sakura." Naruto said, and his voice had lost its menacing edge and turned almost pleading, "I can't handle it."

"I'm not going to defend him." Sakura said as she got out of the car, her long maroon skirt swaying as she made her way over to her troubled friend, "I'm just going to tell you the truth Naruto."

"The truth," Naruto said, "I'm not sure the truth exists anymore Sakura."

"I've never lied to you Naruto, why would I start now?"

Naruto sighed and led the two girls over to one of the many picnic tables that adorned the school's campus. The trio sat down and immediately Sakura went into the details.

"I…asked him Naruto…I asked him to make love to me before he left." Sakura looked down at the table in order to hide the darkest blush that had ever adorned her features.

"He told me…he told me what he saved me from and I asked him…Naruto it was…it was my idea- and he…he seemed really apprehensive, but…but I told him that it was the only thing I could think to help me escape…"

Sakura inwardly shivered at the word, for when she said it she remembered the way it sounded when Sasuke whispered it in her ear, his voice smoother than honey.

When Sakura looked up the blonde boy was staring up into the sky with a sad smile on his face, and Ino was wearing the same expression only tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"It's not fair." Ino said, "It's just not fair that you guys love each other and you can't be together…"

"Sasuke doesn't think he deserves love Ino." Naruto said slowly, "And he thinks that Sakura deserves to be loved by someone better than him…although I'm curious Sakura…" He said turning his attention to the pink haired girl sitting across from him, "What…do you mean he told you what he saved you from? Because at first I was thinking that he told you about how he was leaving because it was better for you to find someone else…but then he definitely wouldn't have had sex with you after that, because that would be like a physical oxymoron or something…"

Sakura blanched, she hadn't meant to tell them about that part….regardless of the fact that it was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever done for her. She sighed, it wasn't like Naruto was going to think any less of him, and Ino would probably love it…well, there was no probably about it.

"He…well Sasuke was my father's drug dealer, and he had met me a couple times before without knowing it, but then one night he heard my father telling a bunch of guys who were all hanging around waiting for Sasuke to arrive, that he couldn't wait to get his fix because it would make it so much better when he went home and finally er… 'Went all the way' with his little Sakura.

At first Sasuke just thought he was some crude guy talking about his girlfriend, and then one of the guys said something about me being his daughter, and about how he always thought my pink hair was pretty exotic…anyway…Sasuke he…he laced his drugs with some sort of fatal chemical…and that's how my father died…he died before he ever got home…"

Ino and Naruto both wore the same exact expression on their faces. Wide blue eyes and mouths hanging open. And then Ino, in a very Ino way, burst into tears and Naruto started to laugh the happiest laugh Sakura had ever heard.

"That makes so much sense…" He said, "That's why you guys connected so well, so fast… he's been looking out for you all along Sakura."

"That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard Sakura." Ino said through her tears, "And even though I wish you guys were together right now, I know that he really cares about you and I, and that makes me so happy."

Sakura smiled at both of her friends, and then shook her head slowly.

"You guys love me too much." She said with a smile on her pale face, "I'm really thankful for you both- you know that right?"

And the two blondes nodded because they felt the same way about her.

.

.

.

Ino sat cross legged on her best friend's soft green bed spread, and she couldn't keep the devious smile off of her face as she thought about the events that had taken place where she was currently sitting.

Sakura caught wind of the look and blushed madly as she always did when Ino thought perverted things, only it was a bit different considering that what Ino was thinking about had actually taken place this time. The rosette shook her head in a vain attempt to sway her thoughts.

"Sakura?" Ino asked slowly, "Don't you think that by sleeping with him, you made things a lot more difficult for yourself?"

"No…" Sakura said after thinking for a moment, "I've never felt more free than I do now Ino, the first time Sasuke ever went to kiss me I pulled away because I saw the eyes of my father when I closed my own…I don't think that will ever happen again now that I can associate those kinds of feelings with Sasuke instead…"

The blonde girl nodded in understanding and smiled at her friend, because no matter how twisted things may be for her, she finally got what she wanted, and that was her freedom.

The two girls sat in silence that was far from uncomfortable and drifted off into whatever world decided to present itself, and after only a few moments Ino's phone began to buzz wildly-but Sakura didn't hear it, she was lost in the previous morning.

.

.

.

"I want to be a doctor." The pink haired girl smiled, "I just want to save people."

The raven haired man that lay beside her smirked in response, and he couldn't diminish the feeling of pride that swelled inside him as he heard this beautiful girl speak.

"Doctor Sakura." He said, testing out the title much to the joy of Sakura herself. "I like it, it suits you."

"Doctor Haruno wouldn't sound more professional?" She asked him, her brow furrowing slightly, "I want to be taken seriously you know."

"You will be." He said and behind is laid back tone there was perhaps just a little bit of fondness to his words, "Just be Sakura, and they'll take you seriously."

The pinkette rolled on to her stomach so her upper body was now half on Sasuke's bare chest, and smiled at him. He closed his eyes, a slight smirk on his face and shook his head lightly.

His arms were behind his head, as they usually were when he was trying to relax, and Sakura had finally gotten a clear view of the tattoo that was on his side. Intricate vines framed one single date, made out to look gruesome due to the font… the date she found out- was the date of his parents' deaths.

"Doctor Sakura it is then." She said as she folded her arms across his chest and rested her chin against them.

"Good." He said simply, and the rosette smiled to herself before she realized that these were her last few moments with him. The knowledge crushed her like a boulder and she inhaled sharply causing the stoic Uchiha to open his eyes.

She caught the worried look on his face and smiled at him quickly, but he clearly he didn't buy it, and Sakura knew it was because he was worried she was in pain- as he had been all the night before.

"Does it hurt?" He asked her, as he grabbed her upper arms and pulled her all the way up his chest so that their faces were only inches apart. The look on his face was only the slightest bit concerned, but the fact that you could see the emotion at all meant that it was strong.

"Yes." She said quietly, though she wasn't speaking of any physical pain, "It's unbearable…"

Sasuke sighed and rolled her off of his chest to tuck her against his side snugly as he rubbed her back with one hand.

"I'm so sorry baby." The words were out before he could stop them, and inwardly he cursed at the affectionate pet name.

Sakura on the other hand beamed inwardly, until the words he had said to her the night before entered her thoughts.

'_I've been with a lot of girls'_

"Do…" She began and then hesitated unsure of how to ask the question that was now taunting her. "Sasuke…do you- I mean…" She took a deep breath and began again, "Sasuke, were you the same with…them as you were with me?"

Onyx orbs widened for a fraction of a second before returning to normal. Slowly the Uchiha let a small smirk spread across his features and closed his eyes.

"No." He said, "Never."

And Sakura was content to leave it at that, because she knew that Sasuke wouldn't lie to her about this particular matter, but he continued to speak anyway.

"A lot of girls have loved me before Sakura, and for me they were always such an embarrassment. I'd cringe every time someone brought it up- every single girl I have ever been with has been a disgrace. I'd have sex with them, purely sex and I guess that you don't know the difference but that's not what happened with you…" He hesitated before speaking again, "Because Sakura…the fact that I could ever be loved, by someone as good as you- makes me feel proud."

"I…make you proud Sasuke?" The pinkette asked disbelief evident in her voice and on her porcelain face.

The raven haired man nodded and pulled her even closer to him to place a small kiss on her forehead.

"More than I can say." He sighed and then added with a smirk, "And besides Doctor- I never felt what they felt."

"You don't feel what I feel either though…" She began hesitantly, "At least-"

"That's where you're wrong." He sighed as he got up and retrieved his undershirt and jeans from the floor, "I do."

The rosette smiled widely in spite of the current situation, in spite of the fact that now Sasuke was putting his black boots back on his feet, pulling his jeans down over their tops and standing up.

He turned to face her and she shot up out of bed in only his t-shirt- a sight that he'd never admit warmed his heart- and threw her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rubbed her back consolingly when she started to cry.

"I'm going to miss you Sasuke!" She said and her voice was urgent as she spoke, moving to kiss his lips quickly. She pulled back and traced his lips with her small fingers; she committed everything about him to her memory- down to the small silver loops in both of his ears.

"Make me proud Doctor Sakura." He said quietly, and he kissed her on the lips one last time before he took his leave of the small apartment.

.

.

.

"Hellllllooooo?" Ino sang, pulling Sakura away from the thoughts of this morning as she answered the small device with a large smile on her face. One look at the blonde and Sakura would have bet all she had on who was on the other line.

"Come outside?" She said with an even bigger smile on her face than before, "What the hell are you trying to lure me outside in the middle of the night for Naruto Uzumaki?"

Another brief pause passed and Sakura grew anxious, knowing that her male friend must have some sort of surprise for her blonde haired counterpart. So she made her way to the window and threw open her curtains to find none other than Naruto himself standing by his car with a bouquet of roses.

"Ino!" She called, her voice bright with excitement, "Get your ass outside now!"

And with that she ran over to her friend, grabbed her by the arm and catapulted her through the front door. Sakura watched from the window as Naruto gave Ino the roses and she threw arms around him before kissing him excitedly.

.

.

.

The last few months of school came and went without a word from Sasuke. Sakura occasionally heard that he was doing well from Naruto, but they never had any sort of direct communication. No messages were ever passed.

Until the day of graduation when Sakura received a letter with no return address. She didn't need to open it to know who it was from, and so when she peeled the envelope open and read the note inside she was nearly brought to tears by the few simple words on the plain white paper.

'Congratulations doctor.' It read, 'Get outta there.'

She smiled and tucked the note away inside her cap, and as she made her way across the stage with her two best friends at her side, she held her head a little higher than she would have the day before.

.

.

.

Ino and Naruto had both decided to attend Konoha University and needless to say the pair was devastated that Sakura would be venturing off to Suna and leaving them to fend for themselves, because as they so frequently reminded her, Suna was over 2 hours away and they were going to miss her.

"Sakura!" Ino whined, "Isn't there anything we can do to convince you to stay here with us?"

"Yeah Sakura!" Naruto chimed in, "KU has a really good medical program too, maybe even better than Suna's!"

Sakura laughed at her friends' persistence, and shook her head with a big smile on her pretty face.

"You might be right Naruto, but Suna is the only place I can go where I can become Doctor Tsunadae's intern and she's the best doctor in the country."

The two blondes pursed their lips in defeat, because it was obvious that their rosette best friend had made up her mind, and unfortunately for them it was the best choice for her. So they each hugged her and made her promise to visit, even though they knew it couldn't be often with the schedule of a medical student and intern.

And as Sakura entered the taxi and waved goodbye to her favorite pair of in-love-blondes, she had high hopes for her future… Though she realized as she began to drift off into dreamland, that something about them was incomplete.

.

.

.

When Sakura arrived at the hospital in Suna she was bubbling with anticipation to finally meet the world renowned doctor Tsunadae, but as she made it past the receptionist's desk and through many of the long winding corridors she began to feel increasingly uneasy.

What if the woman was far too great for Sakura ever to live up to? What if she was snooty and looked down upon the pink haired intern? Sakura took a deep breath as she knocked on the large white door with Tsunadae's name on the outside.

"Come in!" Came the loud response, and so Sakura entered and was met with a sight she wasn't expecting at all.

"You're packing?" She blurted, confusion apparent in the way she was gawking at the blonde haired green eyed woman before her.

She was met with sparkling eyes and a small smile in response, and the woman flipped one of her long blonde pony tails over her shoulder as she nodded and laughed lightly.

"You must be Sakura!" She said enthusiasm dripping from every word that left her painted red mouth, "You are just going to love this!"

It was then that Sakura noticed the three maybe four empty alcohol bottles that adorned the beautiful woman's desk, and inwardly she gulped- was her mentor, the most renowned doctor in the country…a drunk?

"Love what?" The rosette asked hesitantly as she observed the many boxes piled high with desk supplies and pictures that she guessed had]no doubt made the office look professional.

"We're moving the program to Konoha!" She said cheerily.

Sakura blanched- of course part of her was extremely pleased that she was going to be near Naruto and Ino again, but she couldn't overlook the fact that she would be missing out on her 'new beginning'

"Why Konoha Doctor Tsunadae?" Sakura asked slowly much to the amusement of the eccentric blonde woman before her.

"The medical program is better there- at the hospital and the university…soo I took it upon myself to transfer all of your information to the university there!"

"That's…great." Sakura said before she felt a small hand being placed on her shoulder. She turned to see a young woman with short brown hair.

"Welcome to life with Tsunadae…" She said sympathetically as she shook her head with a small smile on her soft face, that told Sakura she was use to this kind of behavior from the woman.

"Shizune!" Tsunadae called happily, and then promptly the green eyes beauty passed out.

Sakura sighed and pulled her cell phone from her pocket lazily, smiling at the thought of what she was about to do. Her friends were going to be so happy for her return… The phone only rang three times before she was greeted by the voice of an overly excited Naruto.

"Hey…Naruto, I need a ride back to Konoha…"


	13. The unexpected

It was October. The sky was dark and you could taste the snow in the air, though it had yet to make its first appearance of the year. Sakura Haruno walked through the nearly dead streets of downtown Konoha to meet her two best friends for lunch at their favorite ramen shop.

Well, technically it was Naruto's favorite ramen shop, but for the past two and a half years they had frequented the shop every Wednesday, and it had become 'their' place.

The wind blew wildly, sending her perfect waist length spirals flying madly in all directions, she tried to smooth them down to no avail and eventually gave up on taming the now medusa like state of her hair.

"So much for nice hair today…" The rosette muttered to no one but herself as she tucked her small hands deeper into the pockets of her old fashioned maroon trench coat.

She rounded a corner and saw the blonde duo waiting for her outside of the small shop, and she smiled to herself at the fact that they hadn't gone in and waited like any sane person would have. When she finally reached the pair, none of them bothered with any sort of greeting until they had shuffled inside.

"Sakura you look so nice today!" Naruto said brightly as they took to their usual booth and sat down.

"Thanks Naruto," She smiled in response, "I have a meeting with Tsunadae and Shizune tonight at the hospital, so I wanted to look professional."

"You're not wearing the coat to the meeting are you?" Ino asked, her brow raised and smile on her painted pink lips.

Sakura shook her head, a confused look on her pale face. Ino simply laughed and made a gesture for the pinkette to stand and show her what was under the coat. Ino and her fashion sense.

"Come on now." The bright eyed blonde girl said to her best friend, "Let's see what you picked to look professional forehead girl."

Sakura sighed, knowing that there was no way to sway Ino's focus from the outfit she was wearing, and so the rosette untied her coat and rose from her seat with a slight shake of her head.

Naruto let out a low whistle and Ino smiled widely in approval at the sight of her friend standing in a simple outfit before her. Sakura was dressed in pair of simple white slacks and a tight black lace cardigan over an equally as snug white camisole. She lifted her pant leg just a little so Ino could get a look at her feet, and sure enough they were her favorite part.

"My favorite part of the whole outfit has got to be those pretty shoes." Ino said with a dreamy look on her face as she eyed the black and white closed toed high heels on Sakura's feet. "Where did you get those?"

"I ordered them?" Sakura said questioningly as she shrugged her frail shoulders.

Ino shook her head in disapproval as Sakura reclaimed the seat next to her.

"Let me just help you with that…" Ino said as she leaned over and unbuttoned the top two buttons of her friend's lace cardigan, "There ya go!" She said apparently pleased with her handiwork, "Now you look professional but sexy, put together but edgy…and most importantly your cleavage shows!" The blonde paused and pursed her lips, "Speaking of which, when did your boobs get bigger forehead?"

"I don't know!" Sakura said as a slight blush made its way to her cheeks, "Now, can we please just order some lunch? I'm starving."

"That's my line Sakura!" Naruto said with a grin on his tanned face. Despite the season changes Naruto never lost his color, and Ino would frequently complain about the way she would pale in the winter while her boyfriend remained beautifully tan. Sakura however, remained pale all the time.

The three friends ordered their usual array of foods and drinks and sat for nearly an hour without any sort of disagreements or bickering. Instead, they ate their food sneaking bites off of the others plates and stealing sips from each other's straws, just like they did every other Wednesday of the year.

"So, Sakura, Ino and I have something to tell you…" Naruto said cautiously as they stepped outside the shop doors.

Sakura's eyes widened in fear at the blonde's cautious tone, if there was one thing Naruto wasn't it was cautious, and Sakura immediately jumped to the worst case scenario.

"Oh no!" She said as she spun to face the pair in front of her, "You guys are breaking up aren't you?" It was only after she had spoken that the rose haired girl noticed the pairs interlocked hands.

"No!" Naruto said quickly waving his hands in front of his body, "No, no, no! Definitely not!"

"Then what is it?" Sakura asked in a calm voice now that her anxiety level was back to normal. It was Ino who spoke next instead of Naruto, and Sakura could tell from her friends face that the news they were about to share was absolutely wonderful.

"I'm pregnant Sakura!" She said in a voice brighter than Sakura had heard in ages and for a moment Sakura felt suspended in time. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face upon hearing her that two of her favorite people were going to have a baby.

"Do you have any idea…?" Sakura began slowly, "How cute this baby is going to be?!"

The three friends shared a group hug full of laughter and tears, and Sakura decided that she was having the best day she's had in a very, very long time.

When they broke apart, Sakura was reminded of walking with them at high school graduation, as well as starting college with the two at her side- granted all of them going to college together was just a fluke due to her alcoholic mentors rash decisions- and she couldn't help but smile at the fact that here they were about to take on another milestone together.

"I'm gonna be one hot mom aye Sakura?" Ino said as she flipped a lock of long platinum blonde hair over her shoulder and stuffed her white gloved hands into the pockets of the deep pink coat she was wearing that matched her lipstick perfectly.

"Yeah Ino," Sakura said as she finished putting her own gloves back on her hands, "You'll be the hottest."

"Total MILF." Naruto said with a sly grin on his face, and the three burst out laughing once again. It was a good thing that the streets were fairly empty, and an even better thing that the three wouldn't have cared who'd heard them anyway.

.

.

.

Sakura made it back to the university at a little past two pm, only to find that she had been excused from all of her afternoon classes, courtesy of her eccentric mentor. Not to say that the pinkette didn't absolutely adore the older blonde woman, because within the first three months of working with her they had established quite a bond.

She decided that it would be best if she headed over to the hospital in spite of the fact that she wasn't scheduled to be there until five o'clock. She could picture Tsunadae's amused but annoyed expression when she walked in the door three hours ahead of schedule, and chuckled to herself at the vision.

While she herself was punctual, and perhaps maybe just a little bit of an over achiever, Tsunadae was happy to just barely scrape by and saw no need to put in any more effort than absolutely necessary. Sometimes Sakura envied the carefree attitude of her beloved mentor, but other times the woman reminded her far too much of Naruto.

Sakura smiled to herself as she walked up toward the hospitals wide glass doors, but just as she was about to enter she heard a familiar voice call her name.

"Sakura!"

The rosette smiled as she turned around and stood face to face with none other than Kiba, the wild brunette from her high school days. Lately, he had made a habit of showing up unexpected and taking her by surprise.

"Hey Kiba," She said with a smile on her face, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh nothing really, I was just stopping by to see if you were working today." He said with a grin that could rival Naruto's.

"I am." She said the smile still present on her soft face, "Did you need me for something?"

"Nothing in particular," The brunette said thoughtfully, "I just thought maybe we could get a bite to eat or something."

Sakura's smile nearly faltered, for reasons that she refused to admit, she didn't quite like being asked out on dates. It didn't matter who it was, or where they wanted to take her, she could never find it in herself to say yes.

"I just got back from lunch with Ino and Naruto, but thank you for the offer." She said politely trying to disguise the fact that she was no longer comfortable with the situation.

"Well, what if we go later? When do you work 'til?" He asked, not sensing that she was politely declining his offer due to the fact that she didn't want to go with him rather than the fact that she couldn't.

"I work late today, plus I have a meeting with Tsunadae and Shizune after…so I don't think that would work Kiba, I'm sorry."

"I'll wait Sakura!" Kiba said with a determined smile on his face, "I mean it's only like two thirty, how late could they possibly keep you?"

Sakura sighed and shook her head with a small smile on her face, she liked Kiba a lot but not in the way that she felt she should like a guy in order to actually go out with them.

In the back of her mind she knew that it was because she was comparing every single she ever came in contact with to Sasuke, whether they were trying to ask her out or not. And in all honesty, she didn't see a point in going for someone she felt nothing for when at one point in time she had felt so much.

And though the pinkette knew it was rude of her to think so, she couldn't help but view every single male around her…as a downgrade.

"I'm actually not scheduled to work until five…" The emerald eyed beauty admitted a bit sheepishly, "I just got here early because I had nothing else to do."

She knew that now there was no way she could say no to Kiba without being completely obvious about not wanting to go anywhere with him, and the fact that he was her friend meant she wasn't willing to do that.

"Well now you do!" He said enthusiastically throwing an arm around her shoulder, "This is great Sakura, we can go for some coffee or something and I promise to have you back in plenty of time!"

"Okay, okay!" She said sighing in defeat, "I just better not be late! That would look really bad to the doctors here…"

"I'm not gonna get you back late! I promise!" He said with a slight chuckle as he led her away from the hospital grounds, "You are way too worried about the impressions you make on them though." He added after a moment, "Try to be more like Tsunadae! She's so laid back!"

"Ha!" Sakura gave an un-amused laugh at that statement, "She's an excellent doctor that's for sure, but her laid back attitude is something I could never adapt, and I'm pretty sure she's only that way because of the alcohol that seems to permanently reside in her system!"

"You may be right." Kiba said thoughtfully as they rounded a corner, "Have you ever given any thought to taking up drinking Sakura?"

"No." Sakura said sternly, "I've seen what alcohol does to people…" She shuddered to herself at the many memories of her blonde best friends when they were plastered.

"It can lead to good things….sometimes." Kiba said defensively, "Take Ino and Naruto for example, their whole relationship started because my party back in high school."

"Yeah well, it also led to them waking up the next morning and thinking they may have contracted AIDS, because they couldn't remember sleeping together, right in the back of Sasuke's car no less!" The pinkette instantly regretted saying anything about that night; it had been so long since she had said his name out loud.

Kiba who was laughing hysterically quieted when he noticed Sakura's sudden mood change, and looked down at her with concerned brown eyes.

"What's the matter Sakura?" He said curiously, "You went quiet on me all of a sudden, you okay?"

Sakura was instantly snapped out of her daze and looked up at the brunette with a smile on her face.

"Yeah! Sorry I was just thinking about that night is all- and let me tell you the images are beyond unpleasant!" She gave a halfhearted chuckle and thankfully Kiba seemed to buy into it just as she had hoped.

"Well, it's a good thing that that night happened anyway. Who would have known how perfect those two would be for each other, I was talking to Naruto the other day and he's making wedding plans and everything."

"Ino is too of course." She said with a soft smile on her face, "They really are great for each other…" She trailed of once again, only to be snapped out of it by Kiba a moment later.

"Anyway. You mentioned Sasuke earlier, how's he doing?"

Sakura instantly stiffened, but quickly tried to regain her composure.

"I don't know." She said trying to act nonchalant about it, "You'd have to ask Naruto."

"Oh, really? I thought the two of you still talked…I mean you guys got pretty close before he left after all." Kiba laughed to himself not realizing that Sakura would rather talk about anything in the world, "Which was weird because Sasuke didn't like getting close to anyone, especially girls. I guess he must have really loooooved you huh Sak?"

Sakura knew that Kiba was only trying to tease her, but it made no difference at all. She stopped walking and kept her gaze fixed on the ground.

"I don't really want to talk about Sasuke Kiba." She said not hiding the sadness in her voice at all.

Kiba was taken aback at the sight of Sakura sulking before him, she was usually so chipper and full of energy. Despite the fact that she was so focused on her studies and internship, she was still a really fun girl to be around, and this was so not her.

"I'm sorry Sakura…" He said, "I didn't realize that you weren't okay with him…"

The rosette smiled sadly and shook her head before looking back at the brunette boy before her. She laughed a little to herself and put her hands up.

"I'm sorry." She said, "I didn't mean to get all sulky on you there."

Kiba nodded a confused expression on his usually smiling face, that is until realization took over and he looked at the pinkette with his mouth slightly open.

"Sakura…do you lo-" his question was cut off by the sirens of several police cars and an ambulance racing toward the hospital.

Sakura was immediately on high alert and she turned quickly back toward the direction from which they had just come. She could make it there in less than a minute thanks to the fact that she and Kiba had only walked a little more than three blocks, and if she was lucky she would be able to go into the operating room with Tsunadae.

"I have to go!" She said quickly, "I'm gonna get in this in case there's an operation!"

Kiba nodded, his previous question forgotten as he took off after the now sprinting girl. She was fast as hell he had to give her that, he thought as he chased her around the corner and up the last two blocks that lead the front doors.

"Where are you going?" He called as the pinkette dashed to the right and through the large parking lot.

She turned back for only a moment before responding.

"The Emergency room entrance, it's through this lot."

She skillfully dodged cars and people as she made her way through the large expanse before her, with only one thought in mind- educational benefits. It was true that she had been in the operating room with Tsunadae before, but something about seeing the ambulance rushing toward the hospital gave her the feeling that this was going to be different.

And when she burst through the emergency room doors and saw the victim lying on the stretcher before her, her thoughts were confirmed. He was in terrible condition, and she felt like she was about to pass out at the sight of him.

It wasn't the blood, it wasn't the bruises…it was the fact that there was one of the most important people in her whole life…on the brink of death before her. Suddenly, this wasn't about educational benefits anymore.

Kiba came to halt right next to her, and it was clear that he felt the same way.

"Oh holy shit…" He breathed, he turned to Sakura and found that her face was a complete mask of horror and that her small frame was shaking fiercely, "Sakura…" He started, reaching a hand out to her.

"Call Ino now!" She said, her voice barely about a whisper, as she tossed Kiba her cell phone and refused to let the tears that were welling up in her eyes fall, "Tell her to get down here right away!" She threw her coat off and ran up to the stretcher to meet none other than Doctor Tsunadae and rushed away with the rest of the staff.

.

.

.

She kept telling herself that it was only a dream; that she wasn't actually caught up in this moment of agony and chaos. She insisted that if she blinked enough times the scene before her eyes would change. But she'd already blinked a good eighty seven times, and nothing had changed like she'd been hoping. Instead, right in front of her was her worst nightmare and all she could do was shake her head.

"Sakura!" Tsunadae called sharply, trying to regain the pinkette's attention. "Focus!"

"Sorry…" Sakura said softly, avoiding the gaze of her mentor. She couldn't look anywhere except at her feet, afraid that if she did- reality would set in and she would crumble.

"Victim has multiple gunshot wounds ma'am. Some of them appear to be fatal." Shizune said her tone completely professional.

"We're going to need to operate right away and make sure there's no internal bleeding." Tsunadae replied, and then the blonde woman turned her gaze away from the patient on the stretcher and toward her frozen intern, "You think you can handle this Sakura?"

The rose haired girl just nodded her head and followed them through the long corridors that lead to the operating room, trying her best not to pass out on the way. She knew that she had no choice other than to handle this, despite the fact that she was almost positive that she _couldn't_.

There weren't many traumatic injuries in Konoha, in fact this was only the third one Sakura had seen in the past two years that she'd been interning, but it was by far the worst- for more than one reason.

"Sakura, check for any identification on the victim." Tsunadae ordered as she snapped her gloves onto her hands.

Sakura quickly snapped herself back into focus in order to perform the task that her mentor assigned to her, because despite the fact that she felt as though she were drowning, she knew that she had to move quickly in order to help. And that was all she had ever wanted to do.

Searching for the identification was pointless, Sakura would have known the man in front of her if half of his face had been charred- but in order to perform the surgery, Tsunadae needed valid identification. So, Sakura reached into the front pockets of the victims jeans, but she came up empty handed.

"Back pockets." Sakura muttered, more to herself than anyone else. However, Tsunadae nodded and reached underneath him. A moment later she threw Sakura a plain black leather wallet.

She opened it quickly, pulled out the man's driver's license and stared. For right behind the license, was a small photo of herself, the girl stared as the memory came back to her in a rush; she'd almost forgotten that part of the night.

.

.

.

Sakura was looking out her window at the stars, a content smile on her slightly flushed face. She wore only her thin white bed sheets as a form of covering, while slightly ruffled waves of bubblegum pink draped down her back. She looked like the picture of perfection- though she herself certainly wouldn't have thought so.

*snap*

"Did you just take my picture?" The rose haired girl yelled as she turned toward the smirking man standing near her door.

"Yeah." He said simply, "Don't worry I'll delete it if you want me to."

"You can't delete pictures off of a disposable camera! Gah!" She put her hands on her face in a dramatic gesture and moaned, "I wasn't even ready for a picture!"

"That's the point Sakura." He said in a voice that was both smug and amused, smirk still proud on his features.

And only now as she looked back on the memory of that moment, did Sakura recall how he slyly tucked the camera in his back pocket.

.

.

.

"Sakura!" Tsunadae said harshly, her green eyes both annoyed and worried, "Identification?!"

The rosette looked up into the eyes of her mentor, and the blonde woman took a deep breath when she saw the tears on her face, afraid that Sakura wasn't strong enough to handle these kinds of situations. Sakura shook her head and took a deep breath before speaking the truth that she had been trying so hard to deny since she saw his body on the stretcher for the first time.

"His name is Sasuke…Sasuke Uchiha."


	14. More than once

Ino Yamanaka was warm and cuddled up with the love of her life on their soft baby blue couch, in the living room of their small apartment just outside the campus of Konoha University.

She sighed contentedly as she leaned into his chest and focused her attention back on the movie that was playing across their television screen. For the two of them, life couldn't be more perfect.

Naruto had his hand placed protectively across Ino's belly; even though she wasn't far enough along in her pregnancy to show, he still couldn't seem to keep his hands off of it.

There was a baby in there after all, and it was _his_ no less. The thought brought a smile of pride across the face of the overly eccentric blonde male, and he felt Ino snuggle even closer to his chest.

Though he himself wasn't paying much attention to the movie that Ino had decided they should watch, he still felt like they were currently the picture of perfection. Two people who couldn't possibly be more in love, cuddled up with one another while the wind blew furiously outside of their cozy little home, and on top of it all they were having a baby.

He grinned as he thought of all the things they would do together as a family- but was quickly brought out of his fantasy when Ino's cell phone began to ring madly with Sakura's emergency ringtone.

The two blondes quickly shot up from their comfortable positions on the couch and ran toward the bedroom to find Ino's cell phone sitting on the nightstand and ringing like mad.

Sakura hadn't called Ino for an emergency in over a year, and multitudes of terrible situations that her best friend could be in where racing through the now frantic girls mind as she swiped the phone up and held it to her ear.

"Hello?" She asked her voice thick with worry and a thousand un-asked questions. There was a momentary pause before Ino said anything else, and Naruto- his impatience having got the better of him- quickly snatched the phone from her grasp.

"Kiba?" He said once he heard the voice on the other line, his face now a mask of both confusion and fear, because if Kiba was using Sakura's phone for an emergency call, then what kind of condition could she possibly be in?

"Hold on!" He said after a minute, not caring what it was his friend was saying because he really only needed to know one thing, "Is Sakura okay?"

Ino noticed how after a moment the worry in Naruto's expression faded leaving only confusion in its place, and she herself was able to breathe a sigh of relief- because clearly if Naruto was able to relax it meant that Sakura was alright. Didn't it?

But a moment later Naruto was nearly brought to his knees by something that the male on the other side of the phone had said, and Ino found herself holding her breath and at the sight of the unshed tears in his bright blue eyes.

"We'll be right there…" He whispered, and the pain was so evident in his voice that Ino knew something terrible had happened to their best friend, and she felt the tears running down her cheeks as Naruto pelted the phone into the wall and rocketed up to his feet.

He took one look at Ino and shook his head before grabbing her by the hand and catapulting them through the apartment and out the door. Ino could barely breathe as she buckled herself into their car and watched the scenery of Konoha fly by them at blinding speeds.

.

.

.

Sakura didn't have any time to think, she was thrust into the current moment without even a shred of warning- and Tsunadae was afraid that she would break under the pressure.

Sakura had been in the operating room with her and Shizune several times before, but never on a case that was this severe- and from where the green eyed doctor was standing it looked like her intern wasn't going to be able to handle it.

The suddenly things did a three sixty and Sakura kicked into a gear that Tsunadae hadn't even seen some of her colleagues achieve.

The entered the operating room and immediately hooked the young man up to anesthesia, not only that but they needed to hook him up to oxygen as well and Sakura did it all without a seconds hesitation.

The young girl's eyes had lost the glassy look of fear that had coated them earlier and taken on a hardened edge that made the determination she felt quite clear.

Halfway through the operation Tsunadae realized that Sakura was talking to the patient quietly, whenever the older woman would shoo her away because she didn't need her help. She would walk over to the man's head and lightly run her fingers through his raven locks.

_'It's going to be okay. I'm not going to let anything happen to you.'_

-And that's when it hit her that Sakura must have known this man. It explained her freezing up, the tears the way she seemed only moments away from completely caving in and breaking down.

Tsunadae almost lost her focus when she thought of just how hard this must be for the young girl she had come to love, and that thought stemmed another revelation. Not only did her rose haired intern _know _this man-

'_I'm going to save you Sasuke.'_

-She _loved _him.

She shook the thoughts to the back of her mind as she worked on stitching up one of the deeper wounds on the side of his torso.

The man was beyond lucky that they had gotten to him time, it was apparent that he would have bled out had he not been rushed in when he was. Not to mention the fact that they had to drain one of his lungs- he wouldn't have stood a chance.

Sakura was the one who inserted the long needle in between the rib cage and into the lung in order to drain it of the excess fluid, and she did everything perfectly. It didn't matter to her mentor whether or not she executed the procedure with such perfection because she loved the man, because the fact was that she _did_ it- and if she did it for him she could do it for anyone.

After the operation was complete and they had wheeled his stretcher into another room in the intensive care unit, it happened. Sakura Haruno, age twenty- collapsed onto the floor and became a bundle of wreckage.

Sasuke, had been moved into a small hospital bed, and was hooked up to an I.V. as well as several other monitoring devices, and the second Sakura stepped into the room with her mentor and took a look at him she lost it.

The idea that Tsunadae had was to show Sakura just how wonderfully the operation had gone, he was breathing on his own and there was minimal bruising, she wanted the pinkette to see firsthand that she had had a part in saving him…but Sakura didn't see it that way apparently.

"Let me bring you out into the waiting room Sakura." The older woman had suggested, but the pinkette refused. She shook her head and sent her long pink hair flying in every direction to splay out on the floor around her.

And so Tsunadae sat down next to her, and she rubbed her back lightly to try and calm her down, and sure enough after a while the rosette had stopped shaking and instead lay there crying silently to herself.

She sat up and wiped her eyes, causing mascara to smear across her face and blacken several areas on her cheeks.

"He…" She said between hiccups, "He's okay."

"He is." Tsunadae said soothingly, "And when he wakes up we can move him to another room with the general population. You did so well Sakura, I didn't think you had it in you at first. What with the way you were acting and all…I thought you might crack under the pressure, but you didn't! You did it, and you handled it so well. I am so proud of you, and I know that he would be too-"

That sent Sakura into another whole fit of sobs, and Tsunadae again sighed and rubbed her back until she calmed down.

"It's not because he's a patient!" Sakura said a little too loudly as she forced herself onto her feet, "I'm not upset like this because he is a person in poor condition!"

Tsunadae stood up as well, with a small smile playing on her red lips as she observed Sakura's outburst.

"I can handle the hospital!" Sakura said angrily her emerald eyes sparkling and glassy due to the tears they had produced, "Don't you ever think I can't!"

"You proved that today Sakura." Tsunadae said calmly.

"What I couldn't handle…" She said, completely ignoring the fact that Tsunadae had spoken, "Was seeing…was seeing Sasuke…so broken! Because I have had nightmare upon nightmare about his life leading him down this path…" Her voice dropped down to a whisper and the tears began to pool in her eyes once again, "And…and me…not being able to save him."

.

.

.

Naruto sat with his face in his large hands, staring at the terrible purple carpet beneath his sneaker clad feet. He couldn't think, he couldn't feel…he was numb. Ino's hand rested tentatively on his back as it had for the past four and a half hours.

They had arrived at the hospital at three o'clock sharp demanding to be taken to their pink haired best friend, and things had then begun to twist and turn in thousands of unexpected ways.

.

.

.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" Ino cried, her voice hysteric and cracked from the tears she had shed on the car ride over to the hospital that they now stood in front of. "You had better answer my fucking questions or I'm not taking another step!" To show that she meant it she yanked her small hand out of his large one and planted her feet firmly on the pavement beneath her.

Naruto stared back at her in awe before looking again in front of him toward the wide hospital doors. Ino could tell that he was debating whether or not he was going to leave her there, and it dawned on her that she must look incredibly childish.

But what else could she do? He knew things about the situation that she didn't, and she wasn't prepared to walk in there and face something so unexpected…especially when it involved Sakura. She had to be prepared so she could be strong for her.

"You didn't answer any of my questions Naruto! And I need to know what I'm getting myself into…I need to know what I am about to face! Do you understand?" Her bright blue eyes were pleading as she stared at him.

"Sakura is not harmed." Naruto said after a moment. "I'll tell you the rest inside."

Ino felt like a weight had been lifted off of her chest, and she was so relieved that she didn't even notice Naruto walking into the hospital ahead of her. She stayed there for what felt like forever, looking up at the gloomy grey sky and thanking whatever Gods may exist that her best friend was okay.

When she looked back at Naruto and found that he was gone, she headed into the hospital herself, not even caring when she realized she was now very confused as to why she had t be in the hospital at all if Sakura was okay. None of the questions mattered to Ino, because Sakura was _okay._

She happily took a seat next to Naruto and sighed contentedly, he looked over at her and she gaped at the tears she saw pooling in his eyes.

"It's Sasuke." Naruto said, his voice choked and dry.

Ino could only stare…Sasuke? What did he mean it was Sasuke? Sasuke was hurt, he was back, he had a girlfriend who was in labor and Sakura was assigned to the room without knowing and then she walked in and saw the two of them together happy and in love and-

"I don't even know the whole story." Naruto said seemingly reading her thoughts, "Kiba just said Sakura wanted to get in on an operating that was going down, and that when she got in here it was Sasuke on the stretcher…he said…that he looked horrible and that Sakura tossed him the phone and told him to call you before running off with the doctors and nurses."

Right on cue the brunette walked into the emergency waiting room with a can of soda in his hand. It took him a minute, to locate the blonde duo sitting to the side of the large room but when he did he immediately walked to where they were.

"Naruto?" Kiba said uncertainly when he saw the state his friend was in, "How you holdin' up man?"

"Not…so well." Naruto admitted with a sigh. Ino smiled sympathetically at him and shook her head.

"How long is it going to be until they're out? How long can it take to fix someone up…"

"He was in pretty bad shape Ino." Kiba tried to choose his words carefully, but in the end found no reason to sugar coat the truth, "He was a mess, like obviously fatal…I think he's going to be okay though. The look on Sakura's face told me that she'd sooner die than let him."

Just then a blonde woman walked through the doors that lead into the forbidden area of the hospital. She had green eyes and was instantly recognized as Tsunadae. Ino sat up straighter as she approached and Naruto simply held his breath; fearing that her mournful expression was telling him the fate of his friend.

"Sakura told me to come speak to you." She said carefully, "I know we've met a couple of times but in just in case, I'm Doctor Tsunadae."

"We're Naruto and Ino." Naruto said gesturing to himself and his blonde girlfriend, "And that's Kiba standing right there, we're friends of Sasuke's and Sakura's."

"Right." She said, "Speaking of those two, Sasuke is stable."

The relief that spread through Naruto's body was enough to bring tears to his eyes, and Tsunadae felt her heart swell at the sight. Curious as she may be as to how someone who was as banged up as Sasuke had such clean cut looking friends. And why had she never seen him around if he was Sakura's boyfriend- or whatever he was anyway.

"However," She continued, "I can't say the same for Sakura. She…is a wreck."

"It's to be expected." Naruto said sullenly, "Where is she?"

"She's in his room, waiting for him to wake up I think, though she wouldn't exactly admit it." Tsunadae said with a huff of annoyance to her tone but an understanding smile on her face.

"When can we see them?" Naruto asked, his fears calmed but his anxiousness still present.

The green eyed woman seemed to contemplate it for a moment before answering the question at hand.

"I'd say give it a few hours." When she saw the expressions around her fall she laughed a little, "Normally, it would be a few days. We have to give him time to come to- and for now I think Sakura needs the time alone with him."

"She loves him." Naruto said simply, "You know that don't you? She's told you?"

"No." Tsunadae sighed, "She never told me there was anyone she had feelings for like that. But one look at her in that operating room told me all I needed to know."

.

.

.

Sakura sat stroking the hair of the raven haired man in the hospital bed beside her. She ran her pale fingers over the contours of his face, traced his lips and rested her hand on his cheek.

"You saved me once, so naturally I had to save you once too." She smiled to herself at the peaceful expression on his face as he slept.

"I want you to wake up Sasuke." She sighed, "I want you tell me what happened, tell me why you're here and what you've been up to…tell me if you've thought of me. Even one time- I want to know everything."

She laid her head on her arms that were now folded neatly on the side of his bed. A soft sigh escaped her as she listened to the beep of his heart monitor, and she shuddered when she recalled the nightmares she had spoken to Tsunadae about- the nightmares in which that beeping would turn into one long whine- and the line that danced across the screen would go flat.

She sat up once again and tried to distract herself from the troubling thoughts. She studied his face, looking for any sign that he had changed. More tattoos, another whole sleeve actually, a couple more rings in his ears but that was all she could see.

She had been expecting him to look a bit different, a bit older he was twenty three now, if she remembered correctly. They both had birthdays in July; he was just a bit more than three years older than she; for he had turned twenty three on the seventh, while she had still been nineteen until the thirtieth.

She smiled as she recalled the time she had first asked him his age while they drove around in his car with a plastered Naruto and Ino in the back seat.

.

.

.

_"How old are you?" She looked down at her hands and twirled her fingers nervously, trying not to let on that she really enjoyed talking to him, way more than she wanted to._

_"Old." He said, and she could just barely make out the smirk on his face._

_"Old?" She said, waiting for him to specify and after another moment of silence, he did._

_"Twenty."_

_"That's not so old." She said absentmindedly, and she caught the hint of excitement in her voice too late._

_"Hn." His signature smirk was very apparent in the dim lighting of the car as he turned his head toward her and locked eyes with her for just a moment before turning his attention back to the road, "It's still illegal."_

_._

_._

_._

"It's me who's twenty now." She whispered as she traced her fingers along the countours of his face.

He was absolutely still as beautiful as ever, it was a miracle that his face hadn't been torn up- but then again it hadn't appeared as though he's been in any sort of physical confrontation, more like he's been stabbed a few times and then shot as the attacker left.

But Sasuke wasn't one to be caught off guard, and so Sakura was more than eager to know what had happened. Although, she doubted that would be the first thing she asked him when he opened his eyes.

Eyes that she hadn't seen in what felt like centuries; black as coal, deep as an ocean and far more mysterious. And in the blink of an eye, there they were; staring at her intently, gauging her reaction.

Sakura felt as though all the air had been stolen from her lungs, he was staring at her and that meant that he was awake! She mentally smacked herself for internally stating the very obvious.

"Sasuke…" She said slowly reaching out to grab his hand, which to her surprise and great relief he didn't retract. "You…you're awake."

The joy that she felt along with the overwhelming relief was more than enough to put Sakura in such a state of bliss that anyone would swear she had to be high, and maybe in a way she was. High off of the fact that he was safe, and high off of the fact that he was within her reach once again.

He didn't say anything, and she knew she was going to cry if she didn't hear his voice soon- if he didn't acknowledge her…what if he didn't remember who she was? She outwardly gasped, her gaze falling to her lap as she retracted her had from his. What if she was just another girl that he…fucked? Another face to add to the crowd, another name on the list of people- The deep velvet of his voice interrupted her painful thoughts…

"Way more than once."


	15. Like, three

Tears welled up in the pinkette's emerald orbs as she stared in shock at the raven haired man before her. More than once- _way_ more than once even? She felt as though a million fireworks were going off somewhere in celebration of the moment that she was now relishing in.

"You remember me..." She choked out through her tears, "You remember who I am?"

He raised an eyebrow to her but said nothing in response and she wondered idly if maybe he really didn't remember- until the line 'way more than once' flashed though her mind yet again. He knew who she was, and she wasn't about to try and convince herself otherwise- there was no way he didn't, or he wouldn't have answered her question. But, she thought, maybe it was just the drugs! Maybe he was really doped up on the pain meds and such and so he just answered her without really knowing that he was answering her- or-

"Sakura," He sighed, derailing the crazy train that had become of her thoughts and confirming that yes, he did remember who she was. He followed the confirmation with a demand to know why she was there and Sakura could only smile at the fact that it was so... Sasuke to skip all the pleasantries and get right to the answers.

His, 'What are you doing here', didn't strike her as rude in the least because she knew that he wasn't unhappy that she was there, though to many people it would have appeared as such. He just wanted to know why she was there. Sometimes- she mused- Sasuke was so simple, despite the fact that he really was a very confusing and complex individual.

"I'm an intern," She began only to be interrupted by Sasuke.

"I know. I meant what are you doing here in my room- how did you find out I was here?" He smirked lightly, "Did one of the nurses come out of here squealing- so you came in to see why?"

Sakura's heart did a little flip flop at the question, because it had proved that Sasuke Uchiha was as arrogant as ever; and anything about him that hadn't changed she knew she would cling to- because she needed to prove to herself that she still knew him- no matter how much time had passed.

"No." She smiled, "It's kind of a long story but I was out with Kiba-"

"Kiba? From high school...?" He inquired- covering up the jealous glint in his eyes at the mention of the two of them being 'out' together. He tried to ignore the fact that Sakura being out with someone made him want to tear that someone in two- it wasn't a fair reaction, and he knew that. It wasn't like he had any claim to her- and he knew that too.

"Yes." Sakura said completely oblivious to the fact that Sasuke cared she was out with a guy, "And I saw an ambulance headed for the hospital, which we had just barely left. So I ran back because..."

"You ran back?" The Uchiha inquired skeptically. "Like on foot?"

"Yes. So, anyway..." She began yet again, hoping this time that the interruption that was bound to happen wouldn't happen so quickly. "I saw the ambulance and I turned around and I bolted back toward the hospital because sometimes…"

"What kind of idiot doesn't have a car?" Sasuke said letting just a tinge of the venom he wanted to use color his tone.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked quizzically, no longer even slightly annoyed at the interruptions, just curious as to way Sasuke seemed to dislike Kiba so much all of a sudden. "We were just going for a quick walk-"

"That's a shitty date." He said plainly, not caring that he had interrupted her story several times just to throw in jabs at Kiba, and not expecting the pinkette to catch onto what he was doing.

Sakura's eyes widened in realization- he was jealous. The thought made her heart flutter and the butterflies in her stomach go crazy. If Sasuke was jealous- it meant he thought he had some sort of claim to her…which of course he did…but she didn't for a second think he'd known- she'd hoped but she hadn't actually thought for a minute that he actually realized just how big a part of her he was.

"It...wasn't a date." She said slowly, a smile gracing her beautiful features, she wanted to quell his 'fears' but she didn't to give herself over to him so easily after such a long time. "Not that it really concerns you- I mean, I'm sure you've been on plenty of dates."

Sasuke raised a brow, relieved that she hadn't been on a date and intrigued that she assumed he had. Because he actually hadn't been on a single one...well- not any that counted as actual dates anyway. He figured Sakura was smart enough to assume that 'dates' weren't really his thing, and with that in mind he answered her briskly.

"I haven't." He said simply, "Don't have time."

"I don't believe you." She laughed, ignoring the slight pang in her chest at the thought of him with other girls- because surely it wasn't just one girl; that thought hurt even worse. "How many have there been Sasuke? I'm curious."

"Sakura..." He said cautiously, "Why are you asking me that?"

"I just want to know…I'm curious." She said shrugging her shoulders lightly "But I guess I won't try to force it out of you. Goodness knows that that won't work."

"I haven't gone on any dates." He said again plainly his eyes not betraying any sort of emotion that could hint at the possibility of a lie. "I don't 'date' Sakura, I never have. It's a waste of time."

It was then that Sakura realized he may not have gone on any 'dates' parse but that he'd had to of slept with girls- that's why he was emphasizing the word date is every single answer that he supplied her with. So she decided to rephrase her question.

"Okay. How many girls have you slept with?" She said bluntly, her eyes sparkling at the hint of mischief and rebellion as she gazed into the face of the man before her.

"Sakura…" He said slowly pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, "Why does that matter…?"

"It doesn't matter..." She said, "I just figured, you're inquiring about my personal life."

"I was not." He said simply, "I just assumed-"

"Then I'll assume as well." The pinkette said lightly, not willing to give in and not wanting him to know just how much she wished for an actual answer. "I'm going to go with... seven."

She crossed her arms and raised a brow at him, waiting for him to correct her or tell her that she had indeed guessed correctly. He stared at her unwavering for several moments before rolling his eyes and sighing heavily.

"Like…three." He said finally, unsure why he was giving her the number at all. "Three."

"Three?" She said skeptically, "I expected a higher number given your…past reputation for things like that." She examined her painted nails with a higher degree of interest than she usually would, pondering who the girls were and what they would be like…why there were only three…

"I haven't had a lot of time for things like that Sakura. I've been busy." He said in a rather bored tone.

"Were any of them... anything, you know, special?" She asked absentmindedly as she occupied herself by looking over his chart.

"No." He said simply.

"Were they pretty?" She mentally cursed herself for asking the question, knowing that it gave him a glimpse into her desperation.

"Is this your idea of catching up?" Sasuke asked her, agitation clear in his tone. He didn't want to talk about the girls he'd slept with since her- didn't want to think about them and certainly didn't want to describe their looks to her.

Sakura didn't answer, she just shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. She smiled at him briefly before rolling her eyes. "I'm just curious Sasuke- you know? I mean… I'm sure you've wondered what the guys I've slept with have looked like- right? Sometimes people just wonder about those things."

She smiled at his lack of response, and at the fact that she had saved some face. Sure- she hadn't slept with anyone aside from Sasuke, but he didn't need to know that and it gave her the perfect alibi for why she'd been so curious.

"No." He said simply, "I don't wonder because unlike you I don't give a fuck." But Sakura saw past him, as she always had- and his black eyes were blazing with a fury that she hadn't seen in years. His fists were clenched and his jaw was set- he could say he didn't care all he wanted but the truth was there.

"Okay." She said simply, "That's understandable considering I wasn't your first… or second or third…or fourth…or thirteenth….or twenty seventh…" She giggled in spite of herself, "It makes sense that you wouldn't wonder who had come after you I suppose, since you're use to things like that. I apologize for prying."

Sasuke, though undoubtedly irritated by the lack of importance she had put upon herself, remained quiet and impassive as usual. He simply grunted in response and ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't tell her that the simple thought of her with anyone else had driven him into the drivers seat of his car several times. That he'd sit there with the keys in the ignition deciding if he was going to say fuck it all and just come back to her. Sakura's voice brought him back from his thoughts.

"You can have visitors from now until nine tonight when visiting hours are over." Sakura said as she tucked his chart into the door and stuffed her hands into her pockets. "I'll let the doctors know you're up, and your nurse should be in shortly to run you through the different procedures."

Sakura stopped just inside the door and turned back to give him a little wave and a final smile before slipping into the hallway and letting her face crumple. He was back to playing cold and impassive the second after she'd started asking questions, he still didn't want her close and she could only guess that that meant he wasn't staying.

She knew she'd been silly to even let a glimmer of hope surface- but she couldn't exactly help it; seeing him after all this time was overwhelming. She figured she'd been just as silly to expect him to be nice to her as well… but they'd left off on such good terms; he'd been so kind to her the morning he'd left- perhaps because he was never planning on seeing her again.

She shook her head and buried the hurt she felt in favor of a more bearable emotion- anger. She turned around and stormed back into his room with no regard to the fact that he was a recovering patient; if anyone could handle not being treated delicately it was Sasuke. She threw the door open and stepped inside. Sasuke was looking at her expectantly.

"You know what Sasuke." She began calmly, "You may not have wanted me here- and that's fine. But you don't have to be such an ass about it." She ignored the sigh that escaped the raven haired mans lips and took another step toward his bed, "It doesn't matter if you don't like me Sasuke. It doesn't matter if you still think of me as a bother. None of that matters!"

She threw her arms in the air and let out an exasperated huff of air. When she brought her arms back down she threw off her lab coat and pointed one chipped nail right in the face of the raven haired man before her- her voice took on a very serious edge.

"I was there when Tsunadae cut you open, when she stitched you up. I was there when they removed bullets from your body… I myself drained the fluid from your lungs… Damnit Sasuke… I was there when they brought you into the emergency room all torn up and dying!" Her voice broke and she finished her rant in a whisper, "I saved you. Sakura- the fragile and delicate little thing you left behind."

Sasuke's eyes widened in realization at what the pinkette before him had been subjected to- yet again due to him. He wanted to apologize for being so harsh toward her before- but of course he couldn't quite form the words.

"Sakura…" he began, only to be cut off by the woman who stood before him- because indeed that's what she was now; Gone was the delicate little girl that he had first encountered so many years prior, gone was the beaten victim who he'd come to reluctantly look out for as the years had progressed. In her place stood a strong woman- someone more than deserving of respect and admiration from those around her- the woman he always hoped she'd grow to be.

"You saved me once, so naturally I had to do the same. Consider us even." She smiled at him despite the lack of warmth her words contained and Sasuke himself seemed at a loss for words in response to her sudden attitude adjustment.

"I'm sorry." He said finally, "I didn't mean…" He ran a hand through his hair and Sakura smiled in spite of herself at the familiarity of the action. Clips of that same action form years before flashing across the span of her vision momentarily.

"It's fine." She said, her words kinder than they had been before, "I'm not going to hold it against you."

"It's not fine Sakura." He said stoically, "I'm an asshole and you don't deserve that."

Sakura smiled and shook her head slightly a contented sigh leaving her lips.

"Yeah, I know."  
>.<p>

.

.

Naruto and Ino were still anxiously pacing in the confines of the waiting room. Kiba had left to fetch them some coffee and had yet to return. Naruto was sure he had run into some nurse and lost track of time due to his incessant need to flirt.

Ino was walking in circles, staring at her nails intently with one hand unconsciously resting on her stomach. She wasn't paying attention to anything- all she wanted to know was that Sakura was okay... was that she hadn't had her heart shattered by what awaited her in the hospital bed that Sasuke must be currently lying on.

Naruto had told her brief snippets of his rare conversations with the Uchiha heir, and the stories weren't pretty- as a matter of fact it sounded as if leaving Konoha had done him a lot more harm than good. If Sasuke had been considered bad news before- he was devastating news now.

During the times that Sasuke and Naruto would talk, Ino would sneak about and try to find any sort of information out that she could- even though she wouldn't tell Sakura- because that's just what Ino does. She kept the information secret because she didn't want to bring up the past and she didn't want to cause her friend any unnecessary heartache.

In the midst of their conversations she would see Naruto shake his head and she definitely saw frustration etched on his features. After he'd hung up the phone and come back inside his whole mood would be different- he was irritated and morose even; and Ino knew that Sasuke was in over his head and there was nothing Naruto could do to help.

And while pacing the hospital room she silently pleaded that Sakura wouldn't be too heartbroken to find that she couldn't help either. It was then that she crashed into someone and came back into the moment-

She looked up and saw that she had collided with another female who was a little taller than herself. She wore a very worried expression on her face as she locked eyes with Ino.

"Is this the waiting room?" She asked in a rush, "Is there where I'm supposed to wait for someone?"

"Yes..." Ino said slowly, "This is the waiting area... but it's just for people who are in intensive care... if you want-"

"This is where I'm supposed to be then." The girl interrupted. She took a seat and Ino awkwardly sat down next to her, noticing that Kiba had returned and was now talking to Naruto across the room.

"Who are you waiting for?" Ino asked politely.

The girl turned toward Ino, her eyes still frantic and all of her movements fidgety and proving just how on edge she felt. She brushed her hair behind her shoulder and adjusted her glasses on her nose before finally speaking.

"I just have to make sure he's okay. See, it wasn't... I didn't know... I just thought it would be... like a warning you know?" She paused and looked away from Ino's questioning gaze and when she resumed speaking it was more to herself than anyone else. "Like a warning right? Not an actual fuckin' thing... not something dangerous or some shit like that..."

Ino cast a worried look toward Naruto who happened to catch her gaze and gestured for Kiba to follow him back toward the blonde girl who apparently needed their assistance with something.

"Hey." Naruto said carefully as he eyed the girl sitting next to his girlfriend.

Ino widened her eyes at him and tried to explain with facial expressions that she suspected said girl was possibly a lunatic. But Naruto didn't understand and just made the same mistake Ino had made before him in asking the girl why she was there.

"I'm just checking." She said again, "You know, to make sure." And with that she resumed looking up into space and mumbling to herself about accidents and warnings.

Naruto shook his head and directed his attention back toward the baby blue eyed girl which he adored. He smiled at her and took a seat.

"Kiba says he ran into Tsunadae while he was fetching our coffee." With that said he aimed an elbow at the brunette beside him which was deftly dodged.

"What did she say?" Ino asked anxiously.

"She said that last time she went in there he was awake."

"And where is Sakura?" Ino demanded- "Did she speak to him? Does she know he's up?"

"She's..." Kiba began hesitantly, "Apparently, Sakura is in there with him. I, uh, asked the doctor if they seemed okay and she said we should leave them alone..."

"What do you mean leave them alone?!" Ino yelled as she stood from her seat, "Naruto hasn't even seen him in two years! And who knows how stable Sakura is being in there with him alone! Are you Kidding me?! He almost died!"

"Ino," Naruto said gently, "I know you're concerned for everyone- but maybe..."

"No!" She said, "I'm going in there!" She paused and grabbed both guys by the elbows, "We are all going in there."

"Ino! Wait!" Kiba deadpanned, "I don't think Sasuke's gonna be very happy if we just barge in there..."

"When is Sasuke _ever _very happy?" Ino said and then added, "Or happy at all really."

As the three friends began to walk toward the doors that lead into the critical care rooms the girl that had been sitting next to Ino hurried after them.

"Excuse me?" She called to them, but they didn't turn around. She caught up to them and tapped Ino on her shoulder. The girl turned to look at her with a questioning gaze-

"Yes?" She asked.

"Um, I couldn't help but overhear you three talking..." she began.

"Yeah." Naruto said sheepishly, "We were kinda loud huh? I apologize miss, but we just really need to get to our friends now so-"

"No, no." The girl said seemingly frustrated at Naruto's interruption. "I was just going to ask you, when you were talking did I hear you say you needed to visit someone named Sasuke...?"

Naruto's face went pale and Ino was crushing his hand in a death grip as she looked the girl square in the face and raised her eye brows.

"Why do you want to know?" Ino asked, not bothering to hide her displeasure at all. Irritation radiating from her very soul.

"I'm his girlfriend."


End file.
